


Group Trauma

by Delly_WithAPen



Series: Group Therapy [1]
Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Despair (Dangan Ronpa), Antagonistic Junko Enoshima, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, Male Fujisaki Chihiro, Mild Language, Panic Attacks, because his motivation to get stronger was to overcome the bullying for being a "weak" boy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-29
Updated: 2019-12-05
Packaged: 2020-09-29 16:47:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 31
Words: 34,995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20439263
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Delly_WithAPen/pseuds/Delly_WithAPen
Summary: Kaede notices a lot of issues with most of her classmates, and what kind of Class Representative would she be if she let them go ignored?!(This story focuses mostly on Tenko, so if you aren't a fan of her, I can't really recommend my work)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Obviously some of the V3 characters have more severe issues than others. Not everyone will have a turn, and some will be mentioned rather than delved into.

Tenko Chabashira bounded into the 79-B classroom of Hope’s Peak Academy, eager for another day of honing her skills in Neo-Aikido, and having fun with her friends! What she was greeted with, however, confused her; the desks had been pushed and stacked in a corner of the room, leaving enough space for nearly all of her classmates to sit in a circle on the floor. Even Himiko had beaten her to class. The only few missing were Kokichi Ouma, Miu Iruma, and Ryoma Hoshi.

“What’s… going on? Are we going to play a game?”

Kaede Akamatsu, the class representative, rose to her knees, “Come take a seat. I’ll explain what we’re doing once everyone arrives.”  


Hesitantly, Tenko walked over to sit next to Himiko, with Gonta seated on her right side. Gonta Gokuhara was one of, if not the most tolerable male students in her class. Although she still would have preferred a girl on both sides, she decided to simply comply with these circumstances. Glancing back to Kaede, she noticed the blonde release a sigh of relief.  


A few seconds passed before Ryoma quietly strolled in, stopping to take in the unexpected changes of the room. After a moment, he simply shrugged and sat by Kirumi Toujou. They’d been seen together several times before, quietly enjoying each other’s company. Had Ryoma not already admitted to waiting a long while before even considering a relationship, everyone else would have assumed there was something between them.  


During their wait for the remaining two students, everyone spoke casually among themselves, but no one could provide an answer to Kaede’s intentions. Suddenly, the door flew open with Miu Iruma shrieking as she was chased by a drone. A moment later, Kokichi Ouma dashed into view, clutching a remote control that resembled a walkie talkie.  


“Nishishi! Come on, Miu, didn’t you want to test your new baby?”  


“Not on me, you sugar-loving shit stain!” Miu raced around half of the class to hide behind K1-B0, the Ultimate Robot, who stood fully as a protective boyfriend. However, his actions were unnecessary, as Kirumi had swiftly confiscated the flying object, midair. The drone struggled to lift her weight, but was proven futile.  


“Aww man, you’re no fun, Mom,” Kokichi whined, disappointed that his teasing ended early.  


“Kokichi, please stop calling me that,” she didn’t even turn in his direction.  


Tenko scoffed, disgusted by Kokichi’s mistreatment of both Miu and Kirumi. She glared as he carelessly tossed the remote to Miu, who barely caught it, then plopped down between Kaede and Shuichi. The others returned to their own spots, with Miu failing to claim Kiibo’s lap before settling on holding his left arm beside him. Kiibo simply sighed, and smiled warmly.  


“Now that everyone’s finally present”, Kaede announced, “we can begin with addressing several issues that I’ve noticed in some of you. This will go on the whole week, and no one can skip out, even if you’re not in the spotlight. We’re doing this as a class, as friends, so we have to support one another.”  


Shuichi handed her a notebook, “Thank you, Shuichi. So, today we will be supporting Miu, Gonta, and Shuichi.”  


The boy sputtered for a moment, “W-wait, what? Me? But my name wasn’t written-”  


“I know, I wanted to make sure you wouldn’t try to leave because you hate the spotlight,” Kaede smiled knowingly, then flipped to a page of the notebook filled with scribblings next to little doodles of the students mentioned. She pulled a pen out of nowhere and quickly drew a chibi face of Shuichi.  


“You three all have very big insecurities or confidence issues. Miu-” the girl addressed yelped in surprise, “you tend to hide behind a mask of inflated ego, but I know you have abandonment issues. Gonta-” Tenko spared a glance to her right, “you’re doing a great job as a gentleman, and I understand you worry about your, er, off-putting appearance, and your intelligence. Shuichi-” Kaede twisted her body to fully look at the boy, “we’ve all seen your skills as the Ultimate Detective. Even if you only see yourself as an apprentice to your uncle, you need to remember that you are here, as an Ultimate.”  


Blushing slightly at her little speech, Shuichi tilted his hat over his eyes, mumbling a quiet ‘Thank you’. Miu also hid her face, leaning behind Kiibo’s arm while he whispered for her to share. Moving away, she adjusted her uniform blazer, tugging it down to keep it from riding up her form.  


“W-well, I, uh, I know I say a lot of shit and call you guys names but… I just don’t want to be forgotten, a-and I wanna be important. I want the world to need me enough that I won’t get thrown away. And Kiibo, you’re not just different from humans ‘cause you’re a robot, you’re different ‘cause you see me how I’d always wanted to be seen. You say I make you happy, no one’s ever told me that. I… I’m really fuckin’ scared this is going to stop, that you’re finally gonna see how much better you can do than me, how you’re gonna get sick of my bullshit,” her shoulders shook and tears poured down her cheeks, “Please don’t leave me like every other fuckin’ asshole did! I can’t be without you!”  


Miu Iruma, the self-proclaimed gorgeous girl genius, collapsed in a heap of overwhelming fear and sadness. Kiibo wrapped her into a comforting embrace, pain painted across his face. No one expected her to open up so quickly, it was almost unnatural. The silence was finally broken by none other than Kokichi Ouma.  


“Wow. That was more pathetic than Kaito’s sense of style.”  


Said man jerked back in offense, “What did you say?!”  


“Oh please, just when are you going to get a haircut? It’s gonna poke someone in the eye one day.”  


“Why you little-”  


“Stop it, you two,” Maki interrupted, her eyes shut in irritation, “We are here to reach out to one another, not bicker like a couple of whiny toddlers. So, both of you, shut up.”  


Gonta sheepishly raised his hand barely above his head, prompting Kaede to grant him permission to speak. He fidgeted with his tie, making sure it was smoothly tucked into his jacket, before he opened his mouth.  


“Everyone is very kind to Gonta, even if looks scary. Gentlemen should not look scary, and Gonta not want to be so big. Gonta want to be like Rantaro, or Shuichi, or Kirumi. They all very polite and unscary, and everyone likes them.”  


Kirumi, having heard her name grouped with two boys Gonta envies, blushed slightly from embarrassment. However, she said nothing, as she felt it was not her place.  


“Gonta,” Tenko surprised the class by speaking out, “you may look scary, but you’re the most trustworthy male in this whole class. At least, in my opinion. You’re really sweet and passionate about your goal of becoming a gentleman. I think you’re on your way there already.”  


Angie clasped her hands together, “Yes, yes, right, right! Gonta is like a Komodo Dragon. He may look dangerous, but he loves to be tickled under the chin. Nyahahaha!”  


“Yeah, and even though I’m flattered you see me as a gentleman, I’m just used to being around a bunch of little sisters, you know? It’s no big deal,” Rantaro rubbed the back of his neck, laughing.  


“Oh, maybe Gonta should find little sister and be gentlemanly to her, like Rantaro!”, a glint of determination flashed across his red eyes, as if a fire has just been ignited within him.  


Himiko scratched her ear from under her mage’s hat, “Nyeh, I could be your little sister, Gonta. You can give me piggyback rides to class, and feed me candy, and-”  


“Himiko, I already do that for you!”  


“Oh, yeah.”  


Kaede sighed at the girl’s antics, “So, Gonta, do you want to share anything else? Remember, we’re here to support everyone, so whatever you having weighing on your mind…”  


“No, Gonta feel better right now.”  


“Oh, okay,” She then turned toward her left, past Kokichi, failing to maintain eye contact with Shuichi as he swivelled his head shamefully. She suddenly felt a pang of guilt at putting him on the spot without any mental preparation, he could be on the verge of a panic attack. Maybe she should let him get out of it, and talk about his problems one-on-one after everyone leaves.  


“Shu-”  


“I know I have confidence issues,” his eyes sweep over the class, as though giving a school presentation. The detective looked so vulnerable, Tenko thought just a single sneer would cause him to break down crying, “but I don’t know how to stop these feelings. The feelings of inadequacy, of not being enough of a man, of being a bad person. I’ve been enrolled at Hope’s Peak for a few months and yet I still expect the Headmaster to realize he made a mistake and kick me out. I... sometimes I feel too… small. I’d heard rumors that I’m secretly a girl, because of my eyelashes and sensitivity. Why can’t I be tougher? Why can’t I keep myself from crying like a regular boy?”  


He hugged his knees up to his chest, “Why can’t I be normal?”  


Nobody spoke, nobody moved, nobody breathed. Until Kokichi burst out laughing from beside a stunned Kaede. He fell backwards and rolled around on the floor, an embarrassed Shuichi evading the sight of him.  


“Kokichi! Why would you laugh right now? Shuichi just poured his heart out to us and you’re being incredibly rude!”  


Kokichi’s laughter finally died down, and he scrambled back into a sitting position, wiping tears from the corners of his eyes, “Oh my God, Kaede, did you hear him? He asked why he can’t be normal! Hahaha! As if he’s some kind of freak compared to us.”  


His face suddenly grew stoic, “You can’t possibly believe that you’re an abnormality in a school full of weirdos, right? I mean, look at who your classmates are,” he counted out a number of descriptions with his fingers, “we’ve got a delusional artist who thinks she hears the voice of a God from her tropical island, a man raised by wolves for ten years, at least four of the people in this room have committed murder, and I’m an evil dictator on the verge of world domination! So, tell me, Shuichi, are you so strange?”  


The boy stared back at his classmate, left utterly speechless. He opened his mouth as if to respond, but no sound came out. Closing his mouth again, Shuichi blushed as he realized what his own speech had implied about his friends.  


“Oh, sorry if I may have offended any of you, I just…”  


Kaede reached over to place her hand over his, “It’s alright, Shuichi. I’m sure no one here is upset.”  


“Though, now that I think about, four people have killed someone?” Tsumugi adjusted her glasses, concerned.  


Ryoma speaks up, “There’s myself, Kirumi with her requests as a maid, Maki out of obligation for her orphanage, I’m not sure who else has done it.”  


“Nishishi, maybe that was all just a lie.”  


“Oh my God Kokichi.”


	2. Chapter 2

“Okay, time for our second day of group therapy! So, I have Rantaro, Maki, and one Kokichi Ouma. You three are together because it seems like you’re most prevalent issues involve lying, or keeping secrets. Rantaro, I’ve seen that you tend to have a very difficult time sharing things with us, not just about your past, but even the littlest things like where you’re going when you leave unexpectedly late at night. Maki, maybe you’ve gotten used to hiding a second side of your life from others, but we’re your friends and we care about your safety. Kokichi, I’m almost positive you have a disorder due to your pathological lying, but I want to see you happy, genuinely happy.”  


Everyone decided to keep their seating arrangements consistent for the week, so Rantaro and Kokichi were still on either side of Kaede. The pianist looked to both of them, then to Maki at Shuichi’s left. The girl played with one of her long dark pigtails, pouting toward the floor. Then, Rantaro cleared his throat, signalling for attention.  


“Well, I guess I keep secrets because of my upbringing. I was the oldest with twelve sisters, so my old man entrusted me with a lot of information about his business. But then, the secrets were worse after my first sister’s disappearance. She was the second oldest, and I wasn’t allowed to let the others know that she was missing. I had to say ‘Oh, she’s been accepted into a private school in America. She can’t visit this year, she’s got volunteer work at an animal shelter.’ I’ve written postcards pretending she sent them to us. I’ve faked delivering letters to her, and all my other sisters that went missing until my last sister was gone. They probably figured out something was up after our fourth, Hanako, disappeared somewhere in Brazil, but they never said anything, so I just kept up the image that everything was fine. Some big brother I am, huh?”  


Kaito suddenly jumped to his feet, pumping his fist into the air, “Come on, man, you’re Rantaro Amami, Stranger of the West! You’ve travelled far and wide, searching for twelve sisters before you ended up here. And you still go out to find them, even now! If you open up and ask, I bet every single person in this room would help you out. So quit beating yourself up about it, and let us reach out.”  


Rantaro laughed, “I guess I have been a bit of an idiot for not trusting you guys. But I really worried about one of you getting lost if you joined me.”  


“That wouldn’t be your fault, it’d be ours for getting lost! Trust me, everything will work out in the end, or my name isn’t Kaito Momota, Luminary of the Stars!”  


Maki, sitting to his right, mumbled incoherently under her breath. From the expression on her face, it was probably an insult. Kaito sat back down, and roughly patted her on the back as a sign of support.  


She sighed, “Fine, I’ll talk, but I don’t want to overshare, okay? So, I’ll just say that I’m not proud of the things I did. But, I also feel like I did the right thing, for my home and the children. Ever since I enrolled here, the Holy Salvation Society hasn’t contacted me, so I haven’t done any ‘jobs’ in months. But I have visited the orphanage a few times, and they seem to be doing a bit better. Still struggling financially, but not as much. While I’m here, I plan on taking a part-time job to send money to them. That’s it.”  


Kirumi slightly bowed her head toward Maki, “If you request I be of assistance the next time you visit, I will make it of utmost importance to ease your concerns regarding the condition of the orphanage.”  


Maki appeared shocked for a moment, before nodding silently and continued to play with her hair. Everyone else turned their attention to Kokichi, who seemed more interested in cleaning under his fingernails then entertaining the idea he was nervous of sharing.  


Kaede touched his shoulder, “Kokichi, what would you like to share with us? It can be as little as you want, but keep in mind that we’re only reaching out to you because we really do care about your feelings.”  


“Kaede, how much of my past would you even believe if I told you? I’ve lied so much, no matter what I say, some of you will doubt me anyway. Not only that, but why would I want to weaken my convictions by making myself vulnerable to all of you?”  


“Weaken your convictions? What does that mean?”  


“Oh, Kiibo, if a robot has to know, then just ask Korekiyo.”  


“Although I study humanity and their various cultures, I do not fully understand Kokichi’s behavior that prevents others from trusting him. However, strong convictions typically enforce one’s motivations to complete a task, especially when said task involves rather, morally ambiguous actions. Does this help you at all, Kiibo?”  


Kiibo nodded, “Yes, thank you.”  


Kokichi repositioned himself to lie on his stomach, “Anyway, sharing with you guys could put everyone in danger, as I am the Ultimate supreme leader of evil. If I let secrets slip out, we might wake up in a game where we’re forced to kill each other, and even though it’d be pretty fun, I just don’t have the time.”  


Tenko looked down at the boy, trying to see any secondary emotion hiding behind a mask of boredom, but found nothing. He suddenly locked eyes with her, smirked, and winked. It had to take Gonta, Kirumi, and Angie to calm her down enough before she could harm him.  


“Tenko is very angry, but she should release that anger and allow Atua to fill her heart with love instead.”  


“He winked, Angie, he is a menace that needs to be taught manners!”  


Kaede stood and walked over to the girls, gently moving Angie out of the way so she could put herself in front of Tenko. She held the girl’s chin as Tenko struggled against Gonta and Kirumi, bringing their faces even closer.  


“Tenko, I scheduled you to be focused on alone, because I think your attitude towards males really needs to be brought to light. We’ll listen to your feelings, but this behavior has to change, okay?”  


Embarrassed, Tenko nodded with a blush, and looked downward.  


“I’m sorry, Kaede.”  


“I know you are, which is why I decided for you to be last,” Her hand moved to rest against the girl’s cheek, “I know you can overcome this. And when you do, I’m going to be so proud of you.”


	3. Chapter 3

On the third day of class 79’s group therapy, Himiko cried in the middle of her story about her master leaving his profession of practicing magic, and after she saved a show he made a mistake in.  


“I-I just wish he told me… that I did a good job. But when I got to our dressroom trailer, h-he was gone, along with all of his stuff. I trusted him to take care of m-me, and then he abandoned me. I am a mage, because I was able to make him disappear from my life!”  


Tenko cried with her, rubbing Himiko’s back as she sobbed loudly in her arms, her witch’s hat tumbling to the floor. She felt sadness, for Himiko’s suffering at being left behind by the person she trusted the most. She felt worry, because she couldn’t think of anything to say that would make her friend feel any better. She felt anger, at the idea of her sweet Himiko being abandoned by a man whose pride was too big to swallow when his apprentice surpassed him. Tenko had a master, and she couldn’t bear the thought of him leaving her alone in the temple. Her master was always so supportive, nurturing, encouraging whenever she won a match in an Aikido tournament.  


“Himiko, you deserved more support, and more love. I’m so sorry that he didn’t, but you know what? That’s his loss, because you are an amazing magician, and I’ll cheer for you at every performance.”  


“T-Thank you, Tenko.”  


Angie spoke next, specifically about how she lived back home on her island. As her people’s Prophet, Angie was always given attention, always given trust, always given kindness.  


“But,” she stated, “Angie isn’t given answers by others when Atua does not speak to her. Atua hasn’t told Angie how to tie shoelaces, or ride a bicycle. Atua tells Angie what to paint and sculpt, but why doesn’t Atua answer when Angie asks Him how Kiibo exists? He must know, so does He just not want Angie to know?”  


Korekiyo then regaled a story of Greek mythology, in which a goddess named Athena turned a woman, Medusa, into a snake-haired Gorgon who could turn humans into stone if they looked into her eyes. Medusa sounded sympathetic to Tenko, especially when a warrior named Perseus killed her under the order of King Polydectes.  


“But you see, the Gods helped Perseus defeat Medusa, instead of simply doing so themselves. They very clearly have the means to, but choose to give the trial to a human. Perhaps your God, Angie, is merely allowing you to overcome obstacles for your benefit of individual growth.”  


“Hmm, Angie sees, Angie sees. Okay, Angie feels much better! Thank you, Kiyo!”  


The last person to share for the day was Kiibo, who doubted his title of Ultimate and worried about his relationship with Miu. He talked about going to primary school with human children, and saw that they were so small comparatively, as he was the same size as present day.  


“And I’m worried that I just won’t age with all of my friends, or with Miu,” he gently scooped her hands into his, meeting her eyes with a gaze so intense, she reverted to her submissive side.  


“Why’re you fuckin’ lookin’ at me like that? I didn’t do anything…”  


“Miu, I love you so very much, I want to be like a real couple. One that grows together. I want, I want to grow old with you, Miu!” His prosthetic cheeks blushed a cool blue hue, but it was still very cute. They’ve been a couple for a little less than a month, but it was already obvious that they would last. Before dating Kiibo, Miu was incredibly brash and overtly sexual, swearing every other word she spoke and addressing all of their classmates with crude nicknames. But, she was usually seen alone, too, eating lunch in her little workshop or missing during weekly game night. Kiibo was the first one she called by his real name, and eventually calmed down enough to look almost approachable. She’s not quite there, yet, but a lot of progress has been made.  


“Kiibo, I love you too. And, if you really want to experience aging, then I’ll do my best to implement an artificial aging process into your internal software, but…”  


“But what?”  


“But if I somehow succeed, then you’ll age like a human being, which means you’ll become mortal. You’ll be set to die, Kiibo,” Tears threatened to spill from her big blue eyes, and her hands started shaking as they gripped his tighter.  


Kiibo’s own expression softened, “I know,” he slowly touched his metal forehead to hers, “but I’d rather grow with you to the very end then watch you die as I remain an unchanging machine. And I know that if anyone in the entire world can bring mortality to a robot, it’s Miu Iruma.”  


Tenko watched the pair exchange an intimate embrace, Kiibo wiped her tears from her cheeks and Miu kissed the side of his nose. Her chest felt heavy, as the couple before her entangled themselves into a knot of cuddling. Himiko wiggled a little in her arms, having fallen asleep during Korekiyo’s tale. She brushed the smaller girl’s bright red locks over her ear, hearing soft snores from her full lips. Their friendship was nothing more than that--a friendship. And although Tenko has learned the boundaries of this friendship, such as not following Himiko to the bathroom, she still feels like there’s a part missing from all of her relationships in school. She doesn’t really know what, or why, but Tenko feels… incomplete.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here's a trigger warning right now for mentions of sexual assault.

Days four and five were less emotionally draining, as the most reserved students were focused on. Ryoma spoke very briefly about his loss of interest in his own Ultimate talent, and hasn’t even once visited the outdoor tennis courts since school began. Kirumi cleared up the misconception that she had an inferiority complex, explaining that she merely states the truth when she says she's “only a maid”. Korekiyo talked less about himself and more about his older sister, whom he suggested the girls visit someday. Kaede gave Kokichi spare time to share, but he just wasted it to brag about his group of ten thousand henchmen who would follow him to the depths of Hell and back, and nearly have.  


“Tsumugi, you’re not replaceable, remember the fact that you’re an Ultimate like us! I mean, I’m a pianist while our upperclassmen are an idol, and a traditional dancer, and even a princess! Besides, Ultimate Cosplayer is really cool, too. You can perfectly replicate the appearance of any fictional character? That’s amazing!” Kaede took her position as class representative in stride, jumping in to ease others’ doubts of belonging in Hope’s Peak. She was just so… admirable.  


The final day came, in which Tenko Chabashira, the Ultimate Aikido master, would have to talk about her hatred of males. When she entered the classroom, she realized everyone was already present, and that several people moved seating arrangements. A gap in their circle was visible, between Himiko and Angie. Gonta sat on Himiko’s other side, and Maki sat beside Angie. Everyone quietly stared at her, a few looked noticeably tense, bracing for some story of a drunken father with wandering hands.  


Shutting the door behind her, Tenko stiffly trudged to the spot on the floor, and waited for Kaede to initiate the discussion.  


“Okay, Tenko, whenever you’re ready, you can tell us why you feel so negatively towards guys. But, please, don’t feel like we’re forcing you. We just want you to have a chance to express these thoughts.”  


Tenko took a deep breath, “So, I was born with a lot of hyperactivity, and anger. My parents worried I wouldn’t be able to fit into society, so when I was eight years old, they sent me to live in a temple with a group of priests.”  


She glanced around, Shuichi was visibly sweating, “I was trouble for the priests, too, but then the Head Priest said he would teach me Aikido, and become my master. Then, we developed a new form of martial arts, called Neo-Aikido. It’s much more aggressive and has a bunch of new rules that regular Aikido doesn’t follow. A little while passed before my master and I took to the streets to fight crime as Heroes of Justice! We even wore masks! A lot of the time we’d help old ladies cross the street or rescue cats from trees, but night time was different.”  


Tenko looked down, thinking back to a handful of battles, “My first real fight was in a dark alleyway, with three men who were trying to rip off a girl’s school uniform. One of them had a knife, and another held a long chain. Master and I were able to get rid of them, but I still remember the girl. Her skirt was torn, a couple buttons had come off her shirt, and the man with the knife cut her bra open from the front. She… she looked so scared, and weak. I remember her the most, but there were a lot more who followed. Sometimes, we were late in rescuing them. There were, filthy menaces who, who raped defenseless girls right in front of us. Too many times, they were the same age as me, and sometimes even looked like me. Those were the times Master punched harder and yelled louder.”  


Himiko suddenly placed her hand on Tenko’s leg, making the girl flinch violently.  


“Nyeh, did you ever get hurt… down there?” Her expression looked bored, but Tenko was around her long enough to notice subtle details of emotion in Himiko’s face. She was curious, and worried of the answer at the same time.  


“No- well, kind of, yeah. It wasn’t ever from their… private parts, but I’ve been attacked with their hands. It really hurt, and I bled a couple times, but Master always saved me before they could take off their pants. He’s a really great teacher-”  


“No! He isn’t!”  


Everyone swiveled their heads toward… Kokichi Ouma. His previously composed visage was now twisted in a sneer, disgust etched clearly on his face. He leaned forward and smacked his palms against the hardwood floor, purple eyes boring into Tenko’s own green.  


“Your parents drop off an eight-year-old to some temple to live for who knows how long. This dumbass takes a little kid to dark alleys and leads her into knife fights with pedophiles. You get molested multiple times, and you still lived with him?! Are you out of your fucking mind?!”  


“Kokichi, don’t-”  


“No Kaede, I’m going to say this because, after knowing you all for a few months, no one else probably would on their own. Tenko, your master was an idiot who didn’t know how to handle a child, and should have never let you do any of that shit. He got you molested for Christ’s sake.”  


“W-What? No! He didn’t do anything bad to me, he protected me from the really big men while I handled the smaller ones, he saved me from them before they… before they…” Her hands began shaking, her breathing quickened, Tenko couldn’t process anything in her surroundings, until a scream caught her attention. It was her voice. She was screaming.  


When Tenko could see again, all of the boys had disappeared, Angie and Himiko holding each of her hands while Kirumi held her upright from behind. Kaede was running back to her from the door, which was now closed.  


From her left, she could hear Angie whispering to her, “Shhh, it’s okay now sweetheart, you’re safe now. Shh.”  


Angie’s soft words soothed her, her breathing slowly evened out, Tenko relaxed her body until her head lolled back, and her eyes fluttered shut. Every sound dissipated, every touch vanished. When she awoke, Tenko recognized the nurse’s room--at least what little she could see--with Mikan Tsumiki speaking to someone behind the white curtain that enveloped Tenko’s bed.  


“-suffered from a very severe-a very severe panic attack. Her heart rate is slowing down, so that’s good at least. But, um, if you wouldn’t mind my suggestion, maybe you all should-should leave this alone for now.”  


The other person didn’t respond immediately, until Kaede’s voice chimed softly, “I understand. Tenko seemed to have been remembering those times positively, which might have set him off. Kokichi can really be a bully to the class, but I don't think he meant it this time. He went too far with a different motivation, probably to make Tenko understand how that was all wrong, instead of simply teasing. I just don’t understand why, though…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure if this is a satisfying ending, being so ambiguous. I could always add something better, if people request I continue, but for now, this is the ending of the story.


	5. Classes 77 and 78 Appear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I want to make this bigger. And what's a better way than increasing the amount of characters, right? Not everyone is here, but I'll do my best to include all three classes soon.

Dinner that evening was… awkward. Class 79-B ate in near silence, a stark contrast to the rest of the dining hall, as two upper classes continued their daily commotion. Kirumi decided to make beef hotpot--Tenko’s favorite--but the girl couldn’t bring herself to eat, plucking grains of rice out of their bowl with her chopsticks.  


“Hey!” A voice boomed from over her shoulder, making Tenko flinch, “Are you gonna finish that or what?”  


She spun around to see her upperclassman, Akane Owari of Class 77-B, gnawing on a nearly-clean chicken bone. Although she was the Ultimate Gymnast, Akane was quite adept at hand-to-hand combat, and often sparred with Tenko. Her most notable trait, however, was her insatiable appetite.  


Tenko glanced solemnly back at her full plate, “No, you can have it.”  


Suddenly, several other students approached Class 79-B’s table. Of Class 77-B was Chiaki Nanami, Mahiru Koizumi, and Nagito Komaeda. Of Class 78-B was Makoto Naegi, Sayaka Maizono, Kiyotaka Ishimaru, and Aoi Asahina.  


“You guys seem troubled, something wrong?” Mahiru directed her question towards Kaede, the photographer offering a welcoming smile.  


“Um, well, b-basically… Argh! It’s all my fault!” The girl covered her face in shame, “I thought I could be a good class rep if I got everyone together to work through their issues, but things got too serious and there was a really bad panic attack, some of us won’t talk and I don’t know what to do!”  


Chiaki, Class 77-B’s representative, looked up from her Game Girl, “Hm? Oh, yeah, Mikan told me.”  


Now Tenko covered her own face, hiding it in her arms resting on the table. She heard footsteps behind her, and the lightest pressure she’d ever felt on her shoulder. The pressure slowly grew, until she could recognize it as a hand--a girl’s hand, for sure.  


“Aoi, could’ya pass me the rice?”  


“Akane, I’m helping Tenko right now!” She hissed, before moving the hand to rub her underclassman’s back, “Hey, a lot of people have problems that are difficult to cope with, honey. I’m not sure what happened, and I don’t ever have to know, but I want to say that you’re still very strong in my eyes. Sakura would say the same thing, too.”  


Slowly, Tenko raised her head, her eyes glued to the tabletop, “Really?”  


“Yes, really. You have so much energy, you’re passionate about what you love, and you never let others kick you down. That’s amazing!”  


A few others were speaking one-on-one to an upperclassman themselves. Chiaki kept playing her game, but made it clear to Kaede that she was still listening. Kokichi and Nagito looked as though they were having a staring contest, wearing matching creepy smiles. Mahiru managed to convince Kirumi to take a break and have Gonta carry the dirty dishes back to the kitchen, of which the boy was compliant. Miu and Kiibo were conversing with Makoto and Sayaka about their plans of growing old together, and the mechanics behind it. Kaito discussed his training regimen with Kiyotaka, both having friends that they exercise regularly with.  


“Actually, Kaito, I will say this. Ever since I joined Chihiro and Mondo in their lifting sessions, Mondo and I grew closer. I don’t really see him as a brother anymore, the way I see Chihiro now.”  


“Aw dude… that’s totally awesome! You’d be a dynamic duo together!”  


Tenko smiled at the overheard exchange, making note of a new couple in their school. A couple. Like, romantic couple, who walks down the hall holding hands, and sharing lunches with each other, and going on… dates.  


“You look really happy, did this help you?” Aoi’s voice jerked Tenko back to reality.  


“O-Oh! Um, yeah, I guess it did.”  


“Well that’s good, because Chiaki and Kaede were just talking about a new session tomorrow. Makoto will be filled in, too, so we’ll all be there.”  


“Everyone? I’ll… have to talk about-?”  


“No, no, no! You don’t have to say anything, sweetie. But we want to show the underclassmen that none of you are alone, and we Ultimates are pretty similar despite being so unique!”  


“Okay. I just… he was the only one to really help me with my temper. He made me discover my talent. What if Kokichi was right?”  


“Right about what?”  


“What if he was just a bad teacher who didn’t know what he was doing?”  


Aoi wrapped her arms around the girl’s shoulders, “Listen, I don’t know very much about this guy or how he raised you, but if he did the best he could with your best interest in mind, then that’s all that matters.”  


“Aoi is right,” a deep voice wafted through the air beside them. Although deep, it held a note that remained somewhat feminine. A mature woman would have this voice, the voice of Sakura Ogami.  


“A master can teach his students all that he knows, but it is the student that can do with this knowledge whatever they wish. If the student rejects his teachings, it is only dishonorable to the master foolish enough to let doubt overpower his lessons.”  


“But I don’t want to dishonor him. He’s all I have!”  


“Is he? Now that you’ve arrived to Hope’s Peak Academy, you are renowned as the best Aikido master in the world of our age range. You may thank him for giving you the leverage to get here, but your future is now in your hands, and his teachings are yours to pass judgement.”  


Sakura Ogami, the strongest martial artist alive, was telling her to doubt her master?  


“And,” she continued, “he was all you have. But now you have me. You have Aoi, and Akane, and your classmates. And I swear by my family name, I will never let you doubt our loyalty to you.”  


Tenko smiled, tears brimming in her eyes. This was a family who she didn’t fully understand, and who didn’t fully understand her, but they tried their best together out of love, out of dedication, out of ho-  


“What do you mean she hasn’t eaten anything?! Tenko, we’re not leaving until we see you finish a bowl of rice and a helping of hotpot! Now get to it!”


	6. Chapter 6

“So, Kaede,” Nagito asked, “How did you first go about this idea?”  


The girl shifted in her seat, a metal folding chair creaking under her weight. The group was stationed outside this morning, in a large circle on the courtyard. She looked to her left, at Sayaka, and to her right, at Chiaki.  


“Well, I just made a list of us who I saw had really big issues, and categorized them… Then, we shared three at a time each day except for- except for Tenko.”  


Hearing her name, Tenko shrunk into herself. It was mortifying to think about how all of her classmates witnessed a panic attack, but now everyone probably thinks she has Stockholm Syndrome, too! Agreeing to do this again was a horrible idea. Maybe if she made a run for it, Maki and the others wouldn’t be able to catch up and she can lock herself in her room until tomo-  


Suddenly, she was pulled into a single-arm hug from Akane, seated beside her.  


“I’ll share before you when the time comes, aight? I’ve got some news you might be interested in.”  


Nagito continued, unfazed by the digression, “Hmm, that’s a pretty bold move to place individuals into boxes with each other like that. What kind of categories were they?”  


Kaede shrugged off her backpack and pulled out a notebook, “I have the notes here. Um, we started with Miu, Gonta, and Shuichi for insecurities slash confidence issues-”  


“Let’s pause right there,” Chiaki interrupted. She scanned the group for the three mentioned, “Do you three feel as though your problems were heard, and did you feel better after talking about them?”  


Shuichi rubbed the back of his neck, “I did feel better after that day, but I don’t think simply sharing my feelings of inadequacy will make them go away, either.”  


Kyoko, to Shuichi’s left, crossed her arms, “Of course not, and none of us expect any of you to have your issues disappear like that. I think Kaede’s intentions were nothing but good, if a little ambitious.”  


She turns to Shuichi, her stare distant but not cold, “I understand that you feel inferior as a detective compared to your uncle and myself, but your first mistake is comparing us. We’re different people with the same title, not victims to the same murderer. There’s no need to draw comparisons. You are your own individual.”  


His eyes stretched in surprise. Kyoko Kirigiri, his upperclassmen, better than himself at Ultimate Detective in every way, was telling him not to compare himself with her?  


“It will most likely take some time before you grow out of that habit, but I’ll remind you periodically if I must,” Kyoko gave him a small smile. It looked ingenuine, but her eyes told him she was trying to be reassuring. Perhaps she simply wasn’t used to smiling.  
Miu spread her legs and leaned back in her chair, “Yeah, yeah, ‘Go to therapy and take your meds’, we fuckin’ get it. Can we move on to the star of this show, or what?”  


“That’s a great idea, Miu! So, it all started when I was born…” Kokichi flailed an arm over his face dramatically.  


“Not you, dumbass! Me!”  


Kiibo placed a hand on her shoulder, “Miu, he’s just getting a rise out of you. But please remember, we’re all here for you and everyone, okay?”  


Tensing at the emphasis of ‘everyone’, Miu clucks her tongue, “Alright, fine. I’ll support everyone or some shit.”  


“Would you like to share something yourself, Miu?” Sonia asks across from her. “You may always decline if you wish.”  


“I already talked about my fear of being left behind. I need to feel important, I need to be important. I know I’m not well-liked around here, o-or really anywhere, but if I’m an asset to the world, then people will keep me around.”  


Chiaki elbowed a boy sitting beside her, “Hey, think you can take this one?”  


“Huh? Is that why I asked me to come? I don’t really know anyone here in 79-B, I’m just a reserve course student!”  


“But you know these feelings that Miu and Shuichi expressed, don’t you, Hajime?”  


The boy sighed, “Yeah, I guess so. I keep trying to find something of a talent to be revered as an Ultimate, and everyone in 77-B has been helpful one way or another. But somewhere along the road, I grew a bond with them. They’re my friends, even without a talent. Maybe, you just need to look for the people who’ve been there at your worst, to trust that they’ll stay for your best? Ehehe, sorry, I’m not good at motivational speeches.”  


“Actually, that was nice. I know what to aim for to change my attitude. So, uh, thanks…”  


Tenko looked at the boy. He resembled Makoto in a way; similar brown hair that stuck up like a cowlick, a lean figure that didn’t look too strong, and a spark in his green eyes that shone when Miu thanked him. Being in the reserve course, it must have felt like an honor to receive appreciation from one of the main course students.  


Kaede smiled at the exchange before turning her attention to Gonta, “How about you, Gonta? Do you feel like you want to talk more about your insecurities as a gentleman?”  


“No, Gonta feels happy from what friends said a long time ago. And now, Gonta has a plan. To find little sister and be like Rantaro!”  


Fuyuhiko scoffed, “Trust me, kid. Little sisters don’t make someone a gentleman. They can piss you off, want to pull your fucking hair out, and make you go crazy!”  


Makoto laughed, “That’s true a lot of times, but at the end of the day, you still love each other.”  


“Well sure, but I’m no ‘gentleman’. A man doesn’t act like a gentleman because of others, he acts like a gentleman for others. I never needed nor wanted to be like that, and in my family you gotta be tough, so that’s how I am. I’m tough for the Kuzuryuu reputation. You want to be a gentleman, right? Then act like one and you’re golden.”  


“That’s all Gonta has to do?”  


“Basically,” Mahiru agreed, “And from I’ve heard, you’re doing great. A real White Knight.”  


The boy beamed at her praise.  


Chiaki leaned to look over Kaede’s shoulder, “Who’s next?”


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter ends in a gross way

Rantaro and Maki each took a pass to share their feelings for a second time, and Kaede was hesitant to give Kokichi another chance. But what if he’s willing to take this seriously now?  


“Oh, how to compress a lifetime!”  


Or, not.  


“Let’s see, I was born on a crisp October night-”  


“Your birthday’s in June.”  


“-To a Nigerian prince and his favorite handmaiden-”  


“You’re Japanese.”  


“-Until I found the last golden ticket out of a chocolate bar and-”  


“That’s just Charlie and the Chocolate Factory!”  


Kaede huffed in exasperation, “Kokichi, we’re here to help each other and provide support. If you’re not going to take this seriously, then don’t share.”  


“What?! I’ve taken this super seriously! Don’t forget, I was the one to call out everyone’s bullcrap the first time around, let me have some fun for once.”  


“Ugh, your voice is so annoying! Can’t you see that no one wants you here?” Hiyoko played with the wide sleeves of her traditional kimono.  


Kokichi frowned, “Oh? Like you’re one to really talk, Hiyoko. I never gave you the first prize reward for the person that eats lunch alone the most!”  


The girl gasped, “Watch where you throw that shade, you might end up looking even edgier than now with your purple rat’s nest.”  


“And while we’re keeping our memories sharp, how about I remind everyone that even though you try to flaunt that dress around in school, you can’t actually tie the sash. So at least I know how to dress myself!”  


“So you actively chose that hideous handkerchief?! What, do you like chess so much you have to carry a board around your neck everywhere?”  


Mahiru and Rantaro sprang up at once, “That is enough Hiyoko/Kokichi!”  


“But Hiyoko started it! Waaaahhh! She’s so mean!”  


“Nuh uh, he was being to everyone else! Mahiru, did you hear the things he said to me? Wahhaaah!”  


The 77th and 79th classes groaned at their antics.  


“Um, are they always like this?” Sayaka looked around and was greeted with many nods.  


“Although our class has a pathological liar, that’s a part of her talent so it’s excusable.”  


Celestia smoothed out her skirt, “Why, thank you for the sentiment, Byakuya, but I would feel compelled to say your attitude resembles that of Hiyoko in the form of condescension. Aha, as though I should be the one to speak of condescension.”  


“Master Byakuya isn’t condescending, as the definition includes a feeling of superiority. And his superiority is anything but artificial!” Toko chewed on her thumbnail.  


“I guess I could express appreciation for defending me, Toko, but now you’ve just disrupted the entire discussion I’ve been having with Miss Ludenberg here.”  


“S-S-Sorry, Master Byakuya, sir.”  


Tenko jabbed a finger towards Toko, “No way! There’s no need to apologize, Toko, especially if you were actually complimenting him! He’s just being an insensitive jerk!”  


Byakuya adjusted his glasses, “Ah yes, the feminist supreme decides to butt in and grace us with her awe-inspiring sexism. Why don’t you mind your own business like a respectful underclassman, and leave me alone about how I interact with Fukawa?”  


“Never! Toko deserves to be treated better by you just like every other girl!”  


“Oh? It doesn’t bother you that I’m simply protecting myself from a crazed serial killer?”  


Junko leaned back in her chair, filing her manicured nails, “Oh boy, here we go again with Genocider Syo…”  


“Wait, ‘Genocider Syo’?” Shuichi turned to Kyoko, “The serial killer who murdered a dozen young men over the course of just two and a half months?”  


“Ugh, it was interesting when I first heard about Toko’s split personality but now it’s brought up sooo much, it lost its flavor,” Junko sported a bored look while her sister, Mukuro, sharpened a knife beside her.  


“Mukuro, I understand that you are the Ultimate Soldier, but weapons aren’t allowed on school grounds outside of your respective lab!” Kiyotaka scolded.  


Kaede looked around to all of her upperclassmen, “Toko is a serial killer, and none of you care?!”  


“Well, she has multiple personality disorder, so she’s technically not the one doing the killing. Besides, Syo hasn’t committed any more murders since attending Hope’s Peak last year.”  


Tenko was still very confused by this new information. She was aware that females could be bad like men, even terrible, but she didn’t expect to ever meet a female serial killer in her life, much less attend school with one.  


“So you see, Chabashira? I only mean to distance myself from a dangerous criminal, but she just won’t leave me alone,” Byakuya crossed his arms and turned away from her.  


“But, if everyone else seems… comfortable with her, and she hasn’t tried to hurt you, then why continue being so rude to her? She… she should still be treated with respect.”  


“Hmph, and why not follow your own advice? You flip your male classmates if they so much as touch your shoulder-”  


“That’s a reflex!”  


Akane held her back before she can stand out of her chair, “Hey! He’s just being a dick. No need to risk being sent to the headmaster because of him.”  


“Tenko, I… I don’t know why you would even try to stand up for me to Master Byakuya, but you shouldn’t.”  


That caused her to stop struggling, “What? Toko, he treats you like dirt!”  


“I know… and I like it.”  


Silence fell over the group. Toko… liked being disrespected by Byakuya? How? It didn’t make any sense. It couldn’t be… no…  


“Wait, is this, like, a sex thing?” Kaito scratched his head in confusion.  


Everyone decided to quickly move to a lunch break after seeing the face Toko made.


	8. Chapter 8

“So, after that-,” Makoto glanced over to Toko, “-revelation, I think it’s a good time to move on now. Kaede, do you know who’s next?”  


“Hmm, let’s see… ah! It should be Himiko, Angie, and Kiibo. I put them together because it seemed as though they all had doubts about their talents. Himiko has always changed her title of Magician to ‘Mage’, Angie credits her artwork to her god, and from my own observations, Kiibo felt that his talent is artificial, since he was simply created as he is by Professor Idabashii.”  


“That is correct, Kaede,” Kiibo turned to Miu and gently grasped her hand, “although Miu is helping me gain a new appreciation for my title, as I continue to improve in both knowledge of socializing with humans, and physical attributes being added to my system.”  


Ibuki pulled at the cones of her hairstyle atop her head, “Uh, that’s good, right?”  


“Mhm, Miu has added new features to my body, so I keep getting better and better as the Ultimate Robot!”  


“Oh! Well then, that works out really good! Guess we oughta keep this rock rollin’?”  


Kaede agreed with the musician, “So Himiko or Angie, if either of you want to go next, the floor is yours.”  


“Nyeh, I know that I’m not a real mage. I just… want to feel like I have more power or… control in my life?” Himiko obscured her face with her witch’s hat. Tenko had to push down the urge to run over and hug her.  


“After my master left, I went back to my parents, who were contacted by some manager. I never met them, but they set up events for me to perform at, in exchange for a percentage of my pay. I… really liked having someone else organize things for me, and I was still able to do what I love. But I still felt… I dunno… like I could fall with no one to catch me, what’s the word?”  


“Vulnerable?” Chihiro guessed.  


“Yeah, I think that fits.”  


“I, um, I understand how you feel, Himiko. Maybe not entirely, but you see, after I surpassed the level of knowledge my father had of programming, I had to rely on my own skills and explore. I… made a lot of mistakes at first, and I’m still not perfect, but I was able to improve a whole lot since those years ago. So, if you’re worried about falling, you can start small on your own where you can catch yourself.”  


“Aww man, this made me remember my first days leading the gang,” Mondo threw his head back, staring up at the sky, “After my bro died, everything was up to me. Keeping our turf, monitoring all the bikes in need of a fix, even some financial shit. It sucked.”  


Sonia tilted her head, “But would you do it all again?”  


Mondo looked at the princess, “... Yeah, I would. It sucked, but it was still worth it y’know? Er, maybe you would know best…”  


Sonia flexed an arm up, “Of course! As the Ultimate Princess and heir to the Novoselic kingdom, it is my utmost duty to prepare for the great leadership my country deserves.”  


Kirumi smiled, “A lovely sentiment, Miss Nevermind.”  


“Yeah, Miss Sonia is the greatest, most gorgeous woman in the world!”  


“Why thank you, Kazuichi.”  


“M’kay, I got it now… thanks, everyone,” Himiko looked as though she was about to pass out from sheer exhaustion.  


“Himiko,” Kirumi stood from her chair, “if you request any assistance from me, I would be more than happy to oblige. You look quite tired, perhaps it would be best for you to retire early?”  


“Huh? But I’m still in high school. You want me to retire before I even graduate?”  


“She means you might need to go to bed soon,” Hajime leaned over.  


“Oh, but…” Tenko was surprised to be met with Himiko’s gaze.  


She smiled, “I’ll be okay, Himiko.”  


At that, Himiko was carried to her bedroom on Kirumi’s back, and Nagito’s eyes swept over the group, “Though supporting our underclassmen is important, if anyone else wants to leave before we get to Tenko, you’re welcome to. Anyways, Angie, do you have anything you’d like to say?”  


Angie hummed in deep thought, “Hmmmmm… Nope! Angie is fine.”  


“A-Are you sure, Angie?” Kaede looked desperate.  


“Atua says that Angie is fine, and does not need to share her feelings today. Instead, He shall grant reassurance to all that His love will set you free!” Miu was about to interject until Aoi slapped a hand over her mouth.  


“Hahahaha! Foolish girl, you dare offer the prospect of salvation to me?!”  


“Oh no,” Kazuichi pulled his beanie over his head, “he’s gonna make such a mess of this, I just know it.”  


Sonia wrapped an arm around her boyfriend, “Gundam, sweetie, please be careful.”  


The man slipped out of her hug and stood tall, “My queen of darkness, you of all mortals should have anticipated such a prospect. For I, Gundam Tanaka, can no longer withstand my own fortitude!”  


“... Wait, what’s this guy sayin’?”  


“He’s about to tell Angie what he really thinks… so bothersome!” Toko bit her nails in irritation.  


Leon still looked confused, “How the hell can you understand him?”  


“I’m the Ultimate Writer for a reason, you idiot.”  


Angie caught everyone’s attention, “Oh oh! So, you wish to share with Angie how you feel about Atua?” Her expression quickly darkened, “Perhaps you really wish for a demonstration of Atua’s wrath…”  


“Ha! Utter nonsense, for you see, I am a Lord of Darkness. The wrath of your god is all but expected, and I await the day He strikes with pleasure.”  


Tenko was taken aback by the conversation. As she glanced around the circle, she could see many of the others were surprised as well. While she was already aware of Gundam’s eccentric personality, she would have taken him for the kind of person that throws his own beliefs over others’, as delusional his eight-grader syndrome may be. Angie’s beliefs were different, though. She was raised under the religion of her island--Polynaseum or something--in which her entire village fed her the idea that she was their prophet. That she could hear the voice of her god and, suspiciously, He shares a lot of opinions with Angie. But no one could really challenge those beliefs upfront, her family didn’t lie since it was something they sincerely believed. So what does it mean when people are just… wrong?  


“While I do not wish Atua to harm you, Gundam, Angie must ask that you apologize to appease Him.”  


“I shall concede an apology to you, Angie, for the vessel of a god does not hold the essence of power I wish to confront. With that said, I welcome Atua’s wrath!”  


Sonia sighed, “Gundam, won’t you please come back to my side? I’m so lonely…”  


Gundam blushed fiercely, and hiding his face in his satin scarf, returned to his seat where Sonia promptly rested her head on his shoulder. Their appearances were so different, an animal breeder with pet hamsters and a literal princess, but the layers of their respective personalities showed just how well they fit. Interests in animals, leadership, and even the occult were a few of many shocking similarities between them. Tenko still struggled to trust most of her male classmates and upperclassmen, but Sonia seemed even happier than before they started dating. So, he got a pass for now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted Angie and Gundam interacting together in a way that makes people first think he's intending to confront her religion, but I believe he's had his own beliefs attacked in the past to the point of always remaining respectful (in his own unique way) of others' thoughts or ideas.  
I also wanted to give some more characters a little attention, but with the pacing, I'm not sure if everyone will get a turn. I hope I don't leave out your favorite character!


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here it is, the big announcement from Akane Owari.

“I know what you mean, dude,” Leon scratched under his red goatee, “Being a baseball player just ain’t my thing anymore. Rather be a rockstar like Ibuki, yeah?”  


Ryoma crossed his arms, “So I’ve heard.”  


Kirumi and Korekiyo declined sharing again, having felt no need to. Kirumi had already made it clear that she was fine, while Korekiyo simply preferred to observe and listen to the other students.  


“Sometimes, my luck feels more like a curse than a blessing,” Nagito smiled sadly at his hands, “My parents died, my classmates are harmed, my illness, anyone who comes into contact with me long enough suffers the reverberations of my talent. I often wish I could just get rid of it…”  


Akane straightened up, “Woah, woah, woah, hold the phone. What do you mean ‘your illness’?”  


Teruteru spoke up next, “You’re not… sick right now, are you?” Although Tenko thoroughly despised the boy’s perverted nature and ensured never to let him come within five feet of her, she could hear the genuine concern in his voice. Granted, she wasn’t in their class, so his friendship with Nagito was unclear to her, but maybe he really cared about his classmates? Or, maybe he just doesn’t want to be around sick people?  


Nagito laughed, “Yeah, I am. But no one has to worry about catching it, it’s not contagious.”  


“What is it you have? Mikan might be able to treat it.” Fuyuhiko’s words led everyone’s attention to the nurse, who sheepishly nodded in affirmation.  


“It’s really no big deal, guys. We should focus back to our underclassmen right now,” Nagito turned to Ryoma, “Sorry for stealing the spotlight. Do you want to continue?”  


“No thanks, I figured I’d share just to see how others feel about their talent. Though, I’m not sure if I should feel happy that I’m not alone in losing interest in my talent, or sad that others feel the same way.”  


“For myself, I have less of an interest and more of a purpose with my talent as Swordswoman,” Peko grasped the strap of her sword bag hanging over her shoulder, “As a tool-”  


“Employee!”  


“Ah, employee, to the Kuzuryuu clan, I am tasked with protecting my young mas-”  


“Friend!”  


“...Friend. I apologize, Fuyuhiko does not like it when I address ourselves as such,” Peko turned her head away from the boy sitting beside her.  


Mahiru raised her hand, “If I’m being honest, I don't really like it, either. You two are the same age, you grew up together, but one is supposed to serve the other as some kind of slave?”  


“Tch, it’s more like a bodyguard than a slave, but frankly, I don’t give a shit. Peko isn’t a tool, so she shouldn’t talk like one. And I’m not a master, that’s fuckin’ weird.”  


“Wait, you… don’t want her to serve you? But you’re a male,” Tenko was surprised to hear Fuyuhiko speak so disgustedly about being Peko’s master. Didn’t all males want girls to be their slaves? Unless, of course, they simply aren’t interested in girls…  


“What the hell does my gender have to do with anything?! Look, I don’t know what happened to you before you came here, but I’m not like that, and you ought to start learning this before you graduate and go out into the real world.”  


“Tenko,” Peko spoke calmly, “I fully trust Fuyuhiko that he will not take advantage of me. We’ve shared beds countless times, and not once has he tried to abuse me. Do you believe me?”  


Tenko stared into her eyes, confused, “Never?”  


“Never, and I trust that he never will in the future.”  


“I… I want to believe you.”  


Fuyuhiko furrowed his brow at the girl, “Something happened to you, didn’t it?”  


“Fuyuhiko! You can’t just say something like that!” Mahiru pointed.  


Akane stomped her foot, “Hey! We’re not moving to Tenko until I make my announcement, got it? And we gotta give people a chance to leave now before things get ugly.”  


“What-What do you mean?”  


Kaede decided to answer Mikan’s question, “Everything we’ve talked about so far was important, and I think this was good for bonding with the other classes. But, now it’s a pretty sensitive subject.”  


Tenko stared at the ground, blades of grass billowing in the gentle breeze. People have probably figured out the gist of it on their own, but she was still anxious about sharing. Sakura and Akane and Aoi are there, though, and they wouldn’t force her to share if she really didn’t want to.  


“Right, so if you don’t want to hear nasty crap, you should leave right now.”  


Most of the boys from each class left, including Kokichi.  


“I’m hungry anyway, might as well get a snack now and go bug Kaito!”  


Some of the girls left, too; this left Tenko with Kaede, Rantaro, Gonta, and Kirumi from her own class. Class 78-B was only Kyoko, Makoto, Sakura, Aoi, Kiyotaka, and Mondo. Akane, Nekomaru, Chiaki, Peko, Fuyuhiko, and Nagito from 77-B all stayed as well.  


“Alright, that makes things way easier,” Akane cracked her knuckles, “Now, I’m going to start, and none of you better think of me differently because of it.”  


She took a deep breath, “I’m a survivor of sexual abuse.”


	10. Telling It Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is going to be very VERY descriptive as an experience of sexual abuse. I wanted it to be realistic, but don't want people to get caught off-guard and uncomfortable because of it. So, here's a TW.

No one dared to intercept the conversation. Everyone simply waited for Akane to continue.  


“My family was poor and my parents wouldn’t work, so I had to provide for my siblings. I worked part-time jobs like waitressing, which was how I met my old coach. I started winning tournaments through him, helped him build a name for himself as a gymnastics coach, and he provided me with food and a cut of the cash prizes. But there was always extra stuff he wanted me to do, and sometimes, I did it. When I did, he’d take me and my siblings out for dinner. I nearly threw up when my sister asked if he was my boyfriend. But once I started school here, he left me alone. Haven’t seen the guy since.”  


Nekomaru scowled, “Akane, you know that isn’t appropriate for a coach to do.”  


“Yeah, but he gave me money and shit. I knew it was wrong, but how could I just turn it down when I needed it?”  


Kiyotaka stood up, “He took advantage of that! It’s despicable, I can’t believe we live in such a terrible world where monsters like him can get away preying on children!”  


“Taka, calm down.”  


“No Mondo! I cannot calm down! We need to bring this man to justice!”  


“Akane,” Sakura set the conversation back on track, “Are you okay?”  


Akane plopped back into her seat, “As okay as I’ll ever be. But remember, I said not to think differently about me.”  


Tenko looked to Akane, still in shock from her story. This woman, who’s always acted so carefree and full of energy, went through something so traumatic? It’s as if she’s somehow gotten over it in a matter of two years.  


“None of this is my business to interject. I’m a dude and don’t know how it feels to be put in that position. But as an older brother to many young girls, I just want to say that I hope this guy chokes,” Rantaro’s face, which was usually very laid-back, suddenly darkened with a disturbing sneer etching his features.  


“There are ways to find him and you can still press charges even if it’s been years,” Kyoko informed them, “Though it will ultimately be Akane’s decision.”  


“I’ll think about it.”  


“I hope you do.”  


Akane nodded, before turning to Tenko, “Now then, do you want to tell us what’s up?”  


Aoi leaned forward, “You don’t have to, though. We’ll do our best to help whether we know the details or not, okay?”  


“Okay. I… I don’t really trust some of you, so will you promise not to… I don’t know.”  


Nagito smiled, “The boys can leave if that’ll make you more comfortable.”  


“Yes! Whatever you want, Tenko. We’re here for you!”  


“What Taka said.”  


“Peko doesn’t have to tell me anything about it, either. This is your shit, not mine.”  


“And no one will judge you for asking us to leave,” Makoto offered a smile of his own.  


Tenko thought it over for a few moments, “No, I have to work on this. I know, I know that my fear is irrational, because I have Sakura and Akane with me-” Sakura herself moved to sit next to Tenko, “-so I need you to stay. I need to step out of my boundaries and give you all a chance.”  


“I’m so proud of you!” Kaede squealed.  


“T-Thanks, Kaede…” Her eyes swept around the circle, confidence growing with each empty chair she saw, “So, I guess I could start by saying that… my master never hurt me like that. He never tried to touch me inappropriately, and I’ll always stick by that. He… He l-loves me, okay?”  


Fuyuhiko sighed, “Ah, fuck, kid… we won’t deny that he did. But what happened to make you think all guys are predatory monsters?”  


Tenko fidgeted with the hem of her skirt, “Well, when he started taking me out at night… to help people and fight the bad guys-”  


“Wait, what?” Mondo and Kiyotaka interrupted together. Mondo held a confused expression, as though he was trying to figure out what constituted ‘bad’, while Kiyotaka looked simply mortified.  


“I mean, that’s what we were supposed to do! We’re supposed to help people. And a lot of the time, we run into some really bad men… But we had to protect those girls.”  


“Tenko,” Kyoko spoke up, “this may sound invasive, but how old were you when this all started?”  


“I moved to the temple when I was eight, and we first started going out when I was nine. It probably sounds really young, but he said I was ready.”  


“I might’ve been the same age during my first hit for the Kuzuryuu clan,” Peko adjusted her glasses.  


“My brother wouldn’t let me join the Crazy Diamonds until about thirteen.”  


Aoi glanced over to Sakura, before looking at Tenko, “So, um, these men that you fought… did they ever harm you?”  


“A few broken bones when they had weapons, but then I was able to bring nunchucks in case they had knives or pipes!”  


“Um, that’s great, but what about…”  


Tenko paled at the inquiry. She’d already explained to her classmates, but now her upperclassmen were here.  


“Not… not technically? Their hands are more of a gray area, right?”  


“No! Tenko, I will not allow this!” Kiyotaka stood, his chair tipping over at the force, “I understand that you and your master did this for the sake of innocent girls, but you were harmed in the process! That means it is time to stop.”  


“It’s not that simple, chief,” Akane intercepted, “When you feel you’re doing the right thing, you don’t just want to stop even after getting hurt. But-” She turned to Tenko and wrapped an arm around her again, “That whole gray area mumbo jumbo is trash. It doesn’t matter what they used, assault is assault and they deserve a kick in the throat.”  


“I, I know…” Tenko gazed down at the ground.  


Nagito crossed his legs, “You just wanted to down-play your experience, right? To make it seem like your master wasn’t that irresponsible?”  


She nodded in response.  


Kirumi added, “If I may, I would like to provide a perspective.”  


“By all means, Kirumi.”  


“Thank you, Kaede. As someone who has had many masters--though ones to serve as a maid in place of a student--I have had my fair share of rather substandard employers. Few were even perverted. But as a maid, I did my job efficiently and moved on. Tenko, you were his only student, correct?”  


“Yeah, just me.”  


“And he has been your only master, I’d presume.”  


“Mhm.”  


“He has had no prior experience to learn from before teaching you, and you have had no one to compare his performance to. So, of course this relationship was flawed, as it was a first for the both of you. However, your master was an adult, and you were a child. To subject a young girl to such imminent danger like that is incredibly irresponsible, and frankly, a lack of common sense.”  


Tenko wanted to object, but couldn’t find herself able to make any argument. He did put her in danger, and he did lie to her about males being evil. Her master protected her in battles, but he was the one who brought her to the alleys in the first place.  


“But he still loves you.”  


She looked up, tears streaming down her face. When did she even start crying?  


Chiaki repeated, “He still loves you, I think. What would he do after a fight?”  


“He… he would check if I w-was okay, and then we’d call the police.”  


“What would he do when you weren’t okay?”  


“Um, he would take out his first aid kit, and help me. Then we’d get ice cream,” The memories made her smile.  


Sakura placed a large hand over her head, “He made mistakes that I could never condone, and he formed a web of lies that harmed his only student, but I can see there was love. And this is the decision you must make.”  


“What decision?”  


“Whether or not to forgive him.”


	11. Phone Call

“Hello?”  


“Uh, hi, Master.”  


“Tenko! How are you, my vibrant little flower?”  


“Master, please! That nickname is embarrassing!”  


“Oh, right, I’m sorry. I forgot you’re older now. But, how is Hope’s Peak Academy? Are you making any more friends?”  


“Yeah, a few. The school’s pretty big even though there aren’t many students in the main course.”  


“How are the men there? Do you feel safe? If anything has happened just let me know and I’ll be right over!”  


“Master, I’m fine, really! It’s just… my class representative organized a group therapy session for everyone and I kind of… panicked.”  


“You panicked? Are you okay, dear?”  


“It was because of the street fights. And one of my classmates snapped at me because he thinks you’re a bad teacher for taking me.”  


“I understand. Looking back, it may have been too much for you.”  


“Master, I want to know how you see me.”  


“What do you mean?”  


“After mom and dad died, you were all I had. You weren’t just a teacher to me anymore. And I want to know… do you love me?”  


“Tenko, of course I love you. You are like the daughter I’ve never had. You know how the temple values abstinence, so when you came along, it was like a hole in my heart had been filled. I’m the youngest head priest in the history of Shofuku. I… I didn’t know what I was doing until I made many mistakes with you.”  


“Master?”  


“Yes?”  


“If I didn’t want to fight those people back then, would you have let me stay?”  


“Of course I would have.”  


“But what about helping those people? I thought it was supposed to be the purpose of Neo-Aikido.”  


“Protecting others is important, but my student should always come first to me.”  


“Even though… all those times…”  


“I’ll admit that I regret every injury you received because of my carelessness. And I could never hold it against you if you blamed me for it, either.”  


“...”  


“Tenko, I want what’s best for you, and if you wanted to stay, I would have stayed with you. You were too young to be left alone for long.”  


“But I wasn’t too young to fight grown men in dark alleys?!”  


“Do not raise your voice at me, young lady!”  


“Why not? It’s not like you’re my real dad!”  


“No, I’m not, but I am your guardian-”  


“Maybe I don’t want you to be my guardian. Maybe I don’t need a guardian if I’d still get hurt like this!”  


“I’m doing my goddamn best!”  


“...”  


“I’ve… always tried my best to raise you, Tenko. But… I’m just a man who was handed a child, and after you were orphaned, I couldn’t give up on you. I made so, so many mistakes down the road, that I wish you were given to a better teacher, one that actually knew what he was doing.”  


“Master, I-”  


“No, it’s okay. I know that I messed up. I thought you were ready to go out and fight. I thought I prepared you well enough to fight all those men. I failed you, and now, y-you...”  


“Master, please don’t cry. I hate it when you cry…”  


“Do you… do you hate me?”  


“No! I could never hate you, Master!”  


“Tenko, please listen to me. If you decide to end our relationship because of my actions, I will never try to force you back. Do you understand?”  


“W-What?”  


“I will always love you, no matter what. And a part of loving someone is letting them go when they want to leave. You’re my beloved student, Tenko. But right now, this choice is in your hands alone.”  


“I… I need to go and-and think about this.”  


“I understand.”  


“Thank you, Master.”  


Tenko stared at her cellphone--an old flip-phone with a charm of a little ninja star dangling from the antennae. She had this phone for a few years, ever since she started public school. Her master worried so much about her then.  


“So why…?” She mumbled to herself. The girl stood up from her bed, and strolled out the door in search of some of her friends. She didn’t really want to be alone with her thoughts at that moment. She knocked on Himiko’s door, to be met with no response. Next was Kaede’s lab, a place people found her in more often than her room. Still no luck. On her way to the dojo in hopes that Sakura or Akane would be training, Tenko halted in front of the nurse’s office. It was actually Mikan’s research lab, full of prescription medications and antiseptics. Mikan probably would be there, as she occupied the lab during free time, but she was likely busy with a patient.  


Hesitantly, Tenko pushed the doors open. Even if the room was vacant, the doors had no lock, so anyone could come inside throughout all hours of the day. However, most of the medical supplies, including the prescription drugs, were locked in cabinets.  


Mikan, dressed in scrubs with her choppy hair tied up in a ponytail, looked up from her clipboard, “Oh, Tenko. What a lovely surprise. I-I figured you would be off at the dojo.”  


“I was about to go there, but I wanted to drop by and see if you were free,” Tenko felt comfortable around most of the girls in school, including Mikan. Although the girl never seemed comfortable around anyone, Tenko always wanted to reach out and be friends with her.  


“Free? Like, to hang out?”  


“Yeah, we could get a late dinner or something. Unless you already ate,” Tenko could see the corners of the girl’s mouth twitch, then spread into a wobbly grin.  


“I’d… I’d love to.”  


“Great! Come on, my treat.”  


Grabbing her bag, Mikan rushed out the door with Tenko in tow.  


“Ah, hey! What about me?!” A boy yelled from behind the hospital curtain, “Hello?” but no one was around to hear him.


	12. The Date (part 1)

The pair made their way to the cafeteria, where Teruteru, Kiyotaka, and Kirumi would all reside to wash the dishes and wipe down the tables after dinner. Although, it appeared that they had finished early, as the room looked spotless and none of the three could be heard. Sakura and Aoi sat at a clean table near the kitchen, enjoying tea.  


“Oh, they seem to not… to not want company, we can-we can go somewhere else,” Mikan suggested, a look of dread in her eyes.  


“It’ll be okay, Sakura and Aoi are super nice!” Tenko stepped over to the closest table and pulled out a chair, “Here, we don’t have to be near them if you’re uncomfortable. I’ll go see if there are any leftovers.”  


Hesitantly, the girl sat in the chair her… date… pulled out for her, and Tenko scurried into the kitchen. She greeted the girls as she passed, who warmly returned a wave.  


“Kirumi?”  


Her classmate spun to acknowledge her, giving a curt bow, “Yes, Tenko? As I noticed your absence during dinner, and that you have come to the cafeteria now, I infer you wish to request I make you something?”  


“Uh, yeah, please. Oh! And I invited Mikan along with me, so maybe two somethings? Hahaha!”  


“Of course. It is best that neither of you skip a meal, especially considering your respective talents of martial arts and health services. What would you both like?”  


Mikan is startled out of her daze by a shout from the kitchen window.  


“Mikan! Do you want anything in particular?!”  


“Ahh! No, I'm-I’m fine with whatever you want…”  


“Do you like cheese?!”  


“Yes.”  


“What about turk-”  


“Tenko! Get out of the kitchen and ask her without shouting! That’s rude on a first date!”  


Aoi’s interruption made the girls blush. A date? Did this count as a date? Was Tenko on her first date right now? Is that what she accidentally asked Mikan to when she was just hungry and lonely? Wait, what if Mikan didn’t see it that way either, and now she thinks Tenko is a total degenerate?!  


“Uhh, right! Yes, this is… unacceptable behavior on a date? Duh! Like, what was I thinking?” Tenko staggered through the door and stood stiffly in front of Mikan… her date… whom she was on a date with… right now… having dinner-  


“Oh, right! Um, I was going to ask… um, if you-if you like turkey with cheese because then we could-then-then we could have sandwiches,” Tenko stared at the tabletop, speckles of gray a shade or two darker than its primary color sprinkled about, looking like crumbs.  


“Sandwiches sound lovely, Tenko. Please, thank Kirumi for me.”  


Tenko nodded vigorously, then swiveled her step and trotted back to the kitchen. When she passed her upperclassmen, Sakura gave a silent signal to loosen her shoulders while Aoi sported a thumbs-up.  


Bursting back into the kitchen, she saw that Kirumi was already slicing a block of cheddar while two plates with wheat bread sat in front of her.  


“I was able to hear that turkey is suitable for you both. Is that still your instructions?”  


“Mhm, and… Mikan wanted me to thank you for her. Thanks from me, too.”  


Kirumi smiled, “You are quite welcome, and while this is merely my duty, I must confess that I appreciate the gratitude.”  


Tenko brought the food back herself, so Kirumi could leave for her room.  


“Ehehe, you’re probably used to cooking by the Ultimate Chef, but Kirumi is really skilled in everything she does!” She took a bite out the sandwich and happily noted the high ratio of turkey to cheese to increase her intake of protein. It’s the pattern Kirumi has been making for all of Tenko’s food. More meat, less fats and starches. Just like Master used to do.  


“Tenko, are you-are you okay?”  


“Yeah!” She sobbed, fat tears rolling down her cheeks. She struggled to swallow, as her nose began running, but Tenko managed to clear her airways.  


“Are you… sure?” Mikan looked concerned, “Is something wrong with the food?”  


The girl shook her head, “I just remembered… that Master always made sandwiches like this!” She wailed.  


Mikan bore a confused expression, before releasing a sigh of relief, “You m-must really miss him, then. Come here.”  


Tenko stood and walked around the table, only for Mikan to hug her tightly. Her sniffles were the only sounds in the room, Sakura and Aoi weren’t even speaking to each other.  


“Are you f-feeling better?” Mikan asked. Hearing a soft hum of affirmation, she released her hold.  


Tenko could see Sakura and Aoi approaching, and scrubbed at her face.  


“Hey, kid, if you need to come to us, we’ll be in Aoi’s room, alright?”  


“Really?”  


“Yeah! And Mikan can join us if she wants,” Aoi smiled sweetly to the nurse.  


“But-but that means I ruined the d-date.”  


“Nuh-uh! If you two come with us, it can be a double date!”  


“You and Sakura aren’t even dating!” Tenko knew the full extent of their relationship, after Sakura revealed she had a boyfriend.  


“Well, then… uh… it’s a date with two third-wheels! But this whole thing is just if you want to be with us right now, you two can continue on your own if you’d like.”  


Tenko looked at Mikan, “Would you… would you want to keep doing this? I know this already feels like it’s falling apart but… I just don’t want to end my time with you in such a bad way.”  


The girl blushed, “We can go to the office and eat there.”  


“Okay,” Tenko hugged the pair in front of her, “thanks guys.”  


“It’s no problem. I wish you both a nice evening,” Sakura bowed and, with Aoi beside her, left the girls to continue their date.  


Mikan gathered her plate, and handed the other to Tenko, “Er, we can just bring them-bring them back after.”  


“Okay.”  


With that, they walked back to where they started.


	13. The Date (part 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you feel like I haven't been giving good advice in this story so far, let me know and I'll try my best to improve!

“Oh, oh! And then, she tried to flip me, but I was able to land on my feet like this,” Tenko demonstrated a squatting position with one leg outstretched, “And knock her down with a sweep kick!”  


“That’s very impressive, Tenko. So, did you win the-win the whole tournament?”  


“Mhm,” She leaped up, “Master was so proud, we went out for ice cream! He would always get green tea flavor, and let me have a spoon-full. I like chocolate more, though,” The girl lowered her head, grin fading, “I snapped at him today, before I found you here. He… I made him cry.”  


Mikan gazed at her empty plate, covered in breadcrumbs, “I’m sorry.”  


“Hm? What for?”  


“Well, you’re sad, and I can’t cheer you up. I’m not good at making-at making people feel better emotionally, um, just-just physically.”  


“But you did make me feel better. You being here with me is enough to help.”  


Another blush formed on Mikan’s face. She glimpsed down at herself and wiped away crumbs from her lap, smoothing out her scrub pants. Looking back up at Tenko, she noticed crumbs on her cheeks. Without a second thought, Mikan pulled out a handkerchief and scrubbed the girl’s face.  


“Ah!” Tenko flinched at the sudden attack, but relaxed when Mikan’s other hand caressed her jaw to keep her still.  


Switching to her other cheek, Mikan glanced up and froze as their eyes locked onto each other. Tenko’s dark green stared into Mikan’s cloudy mauve, a purple that paled into the background of other, brighter shades, but still held a level of beauty on its own. Just like-  


“Mikan?”  


The young woman whipped her head towards the medical beds, a curtain wiggling lively in the corner. Tenko stepped in front of her, holding a defensive stance. Suddenly, Yasuhiro revealed himself, having pulled the curtain away with his teeth.  


“What the-?”  


“Oh my gosh, I-I-I completely forgot!” Mikan rushed over to the man, kneeling to inspect his hands.  


“Haha, it’s no problem. You already got the glass out before leaving, and I got to take a nap.”  


Tenko walked over, “She had to take out glass? What happened?”  


Yasuhiro sighed, “I dropped another crystal ball. There weren’t any brooms or gloves around, so I just picked up the pieces and threw them away. But, uh, I guess I wasn’t careful enough, since a few got stuck in my hands.”  


“I was about to disinfect the wound when you-when you came in,” Mikan grabbed a brown bottle from a nightstand near the bed, tipping it against a cotton ball. She gently dabbed the wet cotton ball onto his cuts, the man hissing in pain.  


“Ah, please, forgive me!”  


Tenko crossed her arms, “He should be grateful that you’re preventing infection.”  


Yasuhiro held up his free hand, “I am, I am! It’s okay, Mikan, I swear! In fact, I-I like the pain!”  


“Ugh, disgusting.”  


“I just can’t win”, he whimpered.  


After letting Mikan disinfect and bandage his hands, Yasuhiro belted a “Thank you” and barreled out of the room. Now the girls were, officially, alone.  


“So,” Tenko fidgeted, “what do you want to do now?”  


“Um, maybe we could c-continue tomorrow, or Tuesday, but only if-but-but only if you want,” she suggested.  


The girl stared with such intensity, Mikan shrunk into herself.  


“Mikan,” she grabbed a hold of her shoulders, “I would be honored to go on a second date with you.”  


“Eh?! But-But I don’t have any n-nice clothes to wear, or-or makeup, and-”  


“Wait.”  


“I’m s-sorry!”  


Tenko leaned in closer, their noses almost touching, and squinted, “You mean to tell me that you look this beautiful naturally?” She straightened her back, “That’s amazing!”  


“Beau-... I’m beautiful?”  


“Uh, yeah?! Look at you! Your eyelashes are so long, you have the perfect pear-shaped body to pull off cute skirts, and I love that little mark on your cheek!”  


“Ah! Thank you very-Thank you very much, Tenko,” Mikan shied away, “But, you have one of your own…”  


“Yeah, it’s like we’re matching! Though, mine’s not in the same place, hahaha.”  


Mikan raised her hand up to Tenko’s face, and brushed her beauty mark with her thumb.  


“Um, I… I admire your courage, to stand up for yourself and others. You-You’re very kind to me, and help all of the girls when they ask. You’re… a very likeable person, Tenko,” Mikan held the girl’s face with her other hand, “And, I like-I like you, in other ways, too…”  


This caught Tenko by surprise, “Other ways? Like, you’d want to-”  


Mikan interrupted her with a quick peck and ran out of the room, shouting a frantic apology. A few seconds later, Himiko strolled in, presumably having witnessed Mikan rush down the hall.  


“Hey, what’d you do to Mikan?”  


Tenko lifted her hand and gingerly touched her lips, staring far into the depths of her own imagination. Slowly, a wide grin crept onto her face, eyes squinting in glee.  


Himiko blinked boredly, “Oh yeah, I forgot you’re a lesbian.”  


“Huh? Himiko, when did you get here?”  


“Don’t worry ‘bout it. So, d’you wanna see what Angie made?”  


Tenko didn’t know why she was being invited to hang out with Angie, Himiko would know how she felt about the other girl’s excessive preachings of her religion. Despite her misgivings, Tenko agreed and followed Himiko upstairs toward Angie’s art lab. On the way, they passed Korekiyo’s own research lab, its walls filled from floor to ceiling with shelved books, and glass panels of ancient artifacts stood in neat rows.  


“Ah, greetings, classmates. I presume you are on your way to see Angie, correct?”  


Himiko nodded, “She wanted to show Tenko something.”  


Korekiyo hummed through his mask, “I see. Then I shouldn’t keep you both. Have a lovely evening.”  


Tenko hesitated, “Y-You… you too.”  


Korekiyo, though most of his face was obscured, looked surprised, “Why thank you, Tenko.”


	14. Art

Himiko knocked on the large steel door, but she was unable to make much noise. She turned to face Tenko, who swiftly knocked on it herself. The sound was much louder, and proved to be enough for Angie to open the door.  


“Himiko, you were able to bring her, nyahaha! How divine!” Angie grabbed their hands and pulled them inside, “Come in, come in!”  


Angie’s lab was far simpler than most of the class’, only needing enough space and supplies to create. Buckets of paint and bags of clay laid in the four corners of the room, and there was an easel covered by a white tarp standing in the center.  


“Angie has made something!” The girl hopped excitedly in front of her friends. Tenko was confused at first, Angie makes art all the time, nearly everyday she starts, continues, or finishes a project. Then it dawned on her. Angie… made something. She’s always stated that Atua, her god, made something even if Angie herself held the brush or smoothed the clay. This is the first time Tenko has heard Angie take credit for her own work.  


“That’s great, Angie!” She could see her classmate beam brightly at her praise.  


“Would Tenko like to see? Himiko has seen it before leaving to find you.”  


“Oh yeah, why did you want me to come, anyway?”  


Angie’s smile softened, “Because you have helped me make it.”  


She turned back to the easel and pulled off the tarp, revealing a portrait of surrealism. There wasn’t a speck of negative space within the picture, the background was filled with a swirl of cool colors, resembling a cosmos. In the forefront was Earth, but its color scheme was odd. Where green land would be, was instead a pretty pink, and deep oceanic blue was replaced with purple. Smudges of white formed an atmosphere. Below Earth, Tenko found, was herself, holding the planet like Atlas in Greek mythology. She donned a traditional indigo hakama, torn in several places to show her bare legs underneath, and her hair was out of her face in a high ponytail. Tenko could see the details of scratches and bruises on her skin, her bare feet caked in mud, and sweat above her brow. Her face looked pained, one eye closed and teeth clenched, but there was a glimpse of determination as well.  


“What do you think?” Angie leaned forward, wrapping her arms around one of Tenko’s.  


“It’s… I don’t know.”  


Angie pulled away to look into Tenko’s eyes, searching for a negative feeling. She found none; for the first time, Angie saw no feeling in Tenko’s eyes. They were glazed over, half-lidded and almost tired-looking, the color in her face vanished.  


“Tenko? You okay?” Himiko almost nudged the girl beside her, but kept her distance. Tenko’s body reacts too aggressively for her when surprised, and she didn’t want to be flipped before having Tenko cry over it later.  


Angie, on the other hand, was already hugging her arm.  


“Yoohoo, Tenko~” She swung the limb back and forth, “you look like you’ve seen a ghost!”  


“Eh? Huh?” Tenko was suddenly pulled out of her thoughtless trance by the feeling of her arm swaying.  


“If Tenko doesn’t like Angie’s painting, she can say so. Angie doesn’t bite!”  


The girl looked down at her classmate, who seemed unaffected by the odd reaction. Angie still bore a bright smile, her big blue eyes shining with what Tenko hoped was encouragement.  


“It’s not-It’s not that, Angie. I just… feel weird, seeing myself like this.”  


“Hmm? Like what?”  


“You made me look so strong and willful, like I’m a…”  


Angie frowned, “Is that not what you are?”  


“I don’t think so, after these past few days.”  


Himiko hovered into Tenko’s line of sight, “Nyeh, what are you guys even talking about? I don’t understand it at all.”  


“I’m… I’m not a hero, Angie. I don’t think I ever was to begin with.”  


“Tenko, that is silly of you to say. Angie remembers what you said~”  


“But it was all fake!” Tenko stepped back, shaking her head vigorously and trembling, “I was too late so many times! And those… those monsters, they… to me-”  


Angie crouched in front of her friend, meeting her eyes once again, “Tenko, heroes can be imperfect. Heroes can be defeated and get back up and still be a hero! Tenko is a hero because she saves girls and always does her best!”  


“But, I didn’t-I didn’t save all of them.”  


“Nyeh, you saved at least one, right?” Himiko chimed in.  


“Yeah, but if I couldn’t save everyone, how strong am I really? How can I call myself a… a hero knowing there are girls out there I couldn’t reach in time?!”  


Angie smiled softly, and looks back at her painting, “Exactly.”  


“What?”  


“To bear an impossible responsibility like saving every female in the world brings inevitable failure.”  


Tenko spun around to see the owner of the voice, “Mukuro?”  


“Excuse me for intruding, I was simply curious of the work the Ultimate Artist was capable of. And if I may say, I am impressed.”  


“Nyahaha, thank you~”  


The upperclassman entered the room, her footsteps uncomfortably quiet, and stood in front of Angie’s painting. She bent forward, staring intensely as though to memorize every brushstroke.  


“I couldn’t save every comrade. I couldn’t save every civilian. I couldn’t kill every enemy. I simply did what I could, and it was good enough to earn a place at Hope’s Peak. You don’t have to be flawless, or all-powerful, you just have to be good enough.”  


She turned to Tenko, “Are you good enough?”  


“I don’t know. What’s good enough?”  


“When your best makes an impact. You saved dozens of girls, and were scouted as the Ultimate Aikido master. That’s an impact. That’s good enough.”  


Tenko closed her eyes, then snapped them back open, “No! It’s not enough. I need… I need to help more!”  


Angie stood, “So Tenko shall become a wonderful hero then?”  


The girl faltered, “Uh, y-yeah. I guess I am.”  


Mukuro walked back towards the door, “It would be wrong to discourage you from such a selfless goal. You may find yourself disappointed, however. Impossible goals lead to failure, which leads to guilt, which leads to regret, which leads to despair. Just, know your limitations, girls.”  


“I’m going to make my best even better, and keep girls safe while I have my Neo-Aikido! I swear it!”  


“Tenko, you’re being really loud… she's already gone, too.”  


“Ah, sorry about that, Himiko!”  


Angie leaped into a hug between her friends, “A superhero and a magical girl~ Atua says this is most divine, nyahahaha!”  


“Nyeh, I’m not a magical girl, I’m a magician.”  


“Hm? Do you mean to say mage?”  


Himiko shook her head, “I’m… I’m a magician. I know it, you know it, we can stop talking about this.”  


Tenko wavered, “O-Okay, Himiko. So, we’ll call you a magician from now on.”  


“Mm, thanks.”


	15. Chapter 15

The next morning, Tenko arrived to breakfast early, and found that she was the first of her class to enter the dining hall. Several upperclassmen were already there, including Akane and Sakura. The two waved at her, Akane beckoning her over. She was in the middle of devouring her eggs benedict when Tenko sat across from her.  


Akane swallowed hard, “Ahh~ American breakfasts are so good! Have you ever had eggs benedict?”  


“I don’t think so. The temple is very traditional in Japanese culture, and my parents weren’t big on cooking.”  


“Hmm, I gotcha. Ya know, this is the first time you’ve told me anything about your parents.”  


“Eh? Really?”  


“Yeah, you always talk about your master. But I won’t push, it’s your business and I know how it can be complicated.”  


“It’s okay, I can share some things,” Tenko thought briefly, trying to remember about her parents, “My mother was really pretty, she had eyes like mine and… short hair. Kind of blue. I got my hair from my father, but his was always messy, ahaha!”  


Akane leaned back in her seat, “I feel that!”  


“He was a high school math teacher, and my mother worked at a flower shop. She’d take me with her whenever I got kicked out of a daycare,” she rubbed the back of her neck in embarrassment.  


“How bad were you to get kicked out of several daycares?” Mahiru intercepted. She was next to Akane the whole time, but didn’t seem to have been paying attention to their conversation until now.  


“Well, I had really bad temper tantrums, and was overactive. The daycare teachers just couldn’t handle me. But my parents still tried their hardest to help. That’s how I came to the temple and met my master. I’ll always be grateful to them for all they’ve done.”  


“Huh, it kind of sounds like you had some severe ADHD.”  


Tenko blinked at Mahiru, “AD-what now?”  


Suddenly, Ibuki burst through the doors, gliding on a pair of old roller skates, “Look what I found at a garage sale! Best use of twelve bucks I’ve ever made!”  


Mahiru pointed with a tired smile, “That, is ADHD.”  


Tenko turned back to the girls, “I don’t think I’m that distracted, especially after my years of training. I’ve gotten much better- oh my God look at that dog outside!” She ran around the table and pressed her hands against the large glass window, grinning widely, “She’s so cute~”  


Ibuki twisted her body over, “What? A doggy?!”  


Mahiru sighed as Ibuki rushed over to the window, “Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised to learn those two are long-lost sisters.”  


Akane gave her a muffled response, baked potato stuffed in her mouth.  


Soon, others arrived to the dining hall. Mondo and Kiyotaka came in together, holding hands. Angie, who was already seated, stood up and walked over to them. Kiyotaka looked nervous, aware that she was very religious, and didn’t know much of her views besides blood sacrifices and murder. Smiling, she grabbed their joined hands and squeezed them.  


“May the two of you find happiness in your courtship, and may your love transcend life itself,” releasing their hands, she happily skipped away.  


Kiyotaka let out a breath he hadn’t known he was holding, and Mondo stroked the back of his hand with his thumb.  


“See? It’s alright, no one’s mad.”  


“But-But not everyone is here, yet. What about Byakuya, or Celestia, or Fuyuhiko?!”  


Mondo looked at him hard, “You think I’d let any of ‘em talk shit like that?”  


Tenko, having joined her classmates at their own table, overheard the couple’s conversation. Kiyotaka seemed really worried about being bullied for dating Mondo, but there shouldn’t be any issue at Hope’s Peak Academy. In her middle school, Tenko was picked on for liking girls, and it was painful, but she knew this school was safe for them. No one has ever been harassed for their sexuality here; for who they liked, sure, but not their sexuality.  


“Hey, asshole!” A voice boomed from across the dining hall. Everyone looked over to Fuyuhiko, standing in front of his class’s table, hands in his pockets. Kiyotaka shuddered, trying to shake his hand out of Mondo’s. His boyfriend, however, took a step forward with his chin jutted out.  


“The fuck are you looking at, huh?”  


“Heard you weren’t gonna let me talk shit. Just wanted to say I don’t care about you two dating anyway.”  


Kiyotaka held Mondo’s arm, “You… you don’t?”  


“Hell no! Just don’t get all lovey-dovey around me like those two,” he stuck his thumb out behind him at Sonia and Gundham, the former taking a bite of pancake from the fork offered to her by the latter. Kazuichi, on the other side of Sonia, aggressively chugged a glass of milk.  


“Ah, thank you for supporting us, Fuyuhiko,” Kiyotaka beamed.  


“Yeah, alright. It’s fucking stupid to hate someone for something as small and harmless as that,” the boy waved his hand, and turned to sit back down.  


Sayaka called, “You two, come sit over here!” she and Makoto smiled to them, the boy resting his head on her shoulder. It was a very feminine position for a boy to take with his girlfriend, but that didn’t make them look any less cute together. Middle school classmates turned high school sweethearts.  


Tenko glanced over to Miu at the end of the table, hunched over blueprints with a white pencil. Kiibo sat beside her, holding a grape.  


“It has been a minute, Miu.”  


The girl straightened her back and groaned, “Fine. Ah,” she opened her mouth wide, and he popped the fruit inside. She chewed irritably, glaring at her blueprints. Kiibo just smiled at her.  


Tenko spun her head to see past the 78th class, toward Class 77-B. At the right end of the table was Mikan, nibbling on a bagel with cream cheese. She peeled her eyes from the tabletop, and met Tenko’s gaze. The girl blushed, pulling her mouth from her food and swallowing hard. Tenko waved excitedly, before Mikan waved back.  


From beside her, Tenko could hear Angie pray, “May the two of you find happiness in your courtship..."


	16. Chapter 16

Akane landed roughly on the sparring mat with a grunt. Sakura shifted her stance to prepare for an offensive attack, spreading her legs wider for more stability. Kicking up from her back, Akane landed on her feet and propelled herself forward in a body slam. She made contact with Sakura’s arms, and the force pushed them back a good three feet. Sakura’s feet were dragged across the mat, stopping just before the boundary line. The girl swung her arms forward from their ‘X’ shape, and Akane arched her back to dodge. She then tried to back handspring, but her opponent caught her ankle and redirected her legs sideways. Akane lost her balance and fell on her side, before quickly scrambling to her feet. Sakura released a flurry of palm strikes, hitting her in several places on her face and torso.  


“And, time!” Tenko called from the side. She checked a stopwatch in her hand, “In five minutes, Sakura landed nineteen strikes with six assisted impacts, and Akane landed twenty three strikes with one assisted impact.”  


“Fuck!” Akane shouted, spitting a glob of blood onto the mat.  


Sakura offered a handshake, “I am impressed that you were able to flip me at all, even if it was only one time.”  


Maki crossed her arms from her spot on a nearby bench, “That spar was full of evasion, anyways. A normal person would have probably died from the force of those throws, and wouldn’t have been able to dodge Sakura’s attacks as quickly. And besides, you’re the Ultimate Gymnast, you aren’t required to be adept in hand-to-hand combat.”  


“And you’re just a caregiver, why the hell are you here?” Akane scowled. It was embarrassing to lose to an underclassman, but it hurt worse to know that even more were watching.  


Tenko rubbed the back of her neck, “Maki’s not an assassin anymore, sure, but she can still stay in shape with us.”  


In the corner of the dojo sat Peko, polishing her authentic steel sword, “And while her weapons have been confiscated after the switch, she is still welcome to use the tools we keep here. The two of you are quite similar, Akane.”  


The girl rubbed at her bloody nose, “Yeah, alright. But I don’t want her to just be a spectator. She should be doing this like the rest of us.”  


Peko stood, brandishing her clean sword in one hand, “She may spar with me. There are a variety of weapons to choose from, several of which coming from your old research lab.”  


Maki nodded, and strolled over to her upperclassman.  


Tenko was about to challenge Sakura to a Neo-Aikido match when there was a knock at the door. Sakura, being the closest, took the liberty of opening it. There stood a tall, lean man in a dark cloak that obscured his features. All that was clearly visible was a five-o'clock shadow on his defined jaw.  


“Good afternoon,” he bowed, “I am looking for a student named Tenko Chabashira. By any chance, might she be here?”  


Sakura kept a calm demeanor, “I am not obliged to answer until I know your business, sir.”  


“Oh, yes, please forgive me,” the man pulled down the hood of his robes, “My name is Ryuuji, I am the head priest of Shofuku, and legal guardian of Tenko.”  


“I see. And if Tenko weren’t here or she wouldn’t want to speak with you, how would you react?”  


Ryuuji sighed, “I would simply go back to the temple. There’d be nothing I can do otherwise.”  


Sakura looked him in the eyes, and turned away, “Tenko, you have a visitor here.”  


Tenko ripped her attention from Peko and Maki’s spar. She ran over to the door and skidded next to Sakura. Her excitement twisted into pure shock as she found herself in front of her guest.  


“Master?!”  


“Hello, Tenko. I’m so happy to see you.”  


The girl stood frozen, until warm tears built up in her eyes, and she hiccuped a sob. She leaped toward Ryuuji with her arms outstretched, the man opening his own arms to catch her. The two spun around in a hug, laughing with tears of joy running down their faces. Ryuuji slowed his feet to a stop, but continued holding onto his student tightly. Tenko’s shoulders shook with sobs, but wore a wide smile.  


“I… I missed you so much, Master! I miss my room and the monks and Mikkun and the ice cream parlor and the temple gardens and-” she stopped her rambling, shoving her tear-streaked face into Ryuuji’s chest.  


“I missed you too, Tenko! I missed your footsteps running down the hall every morning, and your tangents on pop idols, and laughing with you when we helped find lost pets!” he smashed his mouth onto the top of her head in a desperate fatherly kiss.  


Sakura watched in interest by the doorway. Akane walked over to her, holding a tissue under her nose.  


“What’s goin’ on?” her voice came out nasally.  


Sakura murmured, “Their relationship is so difficult to comprehend. If Tenko never called him her master, I would assume they were father and child.”  


Akane peered at the two, “Their hair is kinda similar. His is just grayer ‘cause he’s old.”  
They then saw Tenko pull away for the embrace, sniffling, and point over to them, “Ooh, I want you to meet some of my friends!” she tugged at his arm to follow her back into the dojo.  


“This is Akane Owari, the Ultimate Gymnast, and Sakura Oogami, the Ultimate Martial Artist.”  


“Oogami? The strongest person alive?”  


Sakura nodded, “Yes, though my family deserves credit for raising me into the martial artist I am today.”  


“That’s right, but you were able to reach above and beyond. And miss Owari, I believe you had been given a spot in several professional leagues before attending high school, yes?”  


“Uh, yeah. It’s no big deal, though-”  


Ryuuji’s eyes hardened, “No big deal?! It is extremely impressive that not one, but multiple teams full of professional adult gymnasts had made offers to a middle school student! That is truly something to be proud of!”  


Tenko jumped in, “Yeah, you’re an amazing woman who should never be doubted!”  


“Not even by yourself!”  


“Exactly!”  


Sakura and Akane gaped at the intense way they complemented each other in praising the girl. Just how long had they lived together? Tenko slipped past them to introduce Maki and Peko as they rested from their fight. Maki took a swig from her water bottle when her classmate revealed her guest to be her master.  


“The others might not react well to his presence,” she droned.  


“Ah, I remember now. You had shared during a group therapy about our patrols,” Ryuuji knelt down, “I whole-heartedly swear that bringing harm to my student was never my intention, and every second that I think about my negligence I feel sick with myself.”  


Maki blushed, uncomfortable with a grown man kneeling at her feet, “It’s-It’s fine, I figured you didn’t do anything on purpose. Tenko tried to defend you many times already.”  


“And we have all concluded that she is mature enough to decide on her own whether or not to go back to you,” Peko added.  


“Yes, I know,” he pushed himself back onto his feet, “I came here to check on her after a brief phone call the other night. I wanted to make sure she was okay.”  


Maki quirked an eyebrow, “You couldn’t call her back?”  


The man pushed his fingers together, “Ehehe, we are only allowed to use the phone on weekends.”  


The others stared in dismay, while Tenko looked at them confused.  


“What? Is that not normal for your homes?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I might make another story sometime about my ideas for how Tenko lived in the temple and can't get rid of her habits when she comes to Hope's Peak Academy. What do you think?


	17. Matching faces

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to apologize right now for what I made Miu say in this chapter.

“So,” Kaito crossed his arms and glared at Ryuuji, “this is the guy who got you hurt?”  


“Kaito, cool off. This is complicated and I don’t want us splitting apart,” Kaede hissed.  


She stepped toward the man and bowed, “It’s nice to meet you, sir. Tenko has been a kind and supportive classmate to the girls.”  


Ryuuji bowed in return, “Thank you for taking care of her. She can be quite the explosive spitfire.”  


“Master!” she groaned next to him, blushing.  


His eyes roamed over the room of faces, stopping at Himiko fast asleep at her desk. Tenko had talked about friends in the past, but suddenly refrained from discussing the Ultimate Mage a few weeks ago. Ryuuji wondered if there was a fight, or if his student had overstepped a classmate’s boundaries again. Either way, he restrained from meddling.  


“I… I know that I have made terrible judgements while teaching Tenko, and count my lucky stars that she was able to grow into a wonderful young lady despite my mistakes.”  


Angie clapped happily, “Such is the will of Atua!”  


Ryuuji squinted, as if thinking deeply, “You must be... Angie, yes? Tenko told me of your religious loyalty. And as a priest, I must always bear respect to such devotion.”  


“Ahhh!” Angie squealed, “Priests get hugs on my island!” she dove forward and wrapped her limbs around his body, Ryuuji barely stumbling backwards as her small frame clung tightly onto his torso.  


Although caught off-guard, the man returns the hug. Angie slides off, giving Gonta an opening to step forward and ask for a hug as well. Eventually, the whole class had received a hug, handshake, or bow from their guest.  


Shuichi fiddled with the brim of his cap, “You bear a striking resemblance to Tenko in terms of behavior, Mr. Ryuuji. It’s somewhat funny to see that she picked up a lot of her emotional expression from her martial arts master.”  


“Ah, that’s where you’re wrong, my boy. My student has always been emotional, I just never discouraged it. Society likes masks, it believes emotions are a sign of weakness and vulnerability. But without emotions, we don’t have empathy. Without empathy, we can never possibly understand one another.”  


Tenko noticed Kiibo reach out to grasp Miu’s hand, the girl looking away from Ryuuji with a huff. Was this a sore subject for them?  


“But what about those lessons about how men are all evil?” Kaito pushed.  


Ryuuji sighed, “That’s another mistake I made. I just… you don’t know how many women and children have taken refuge in our temples. There have been few men, and far too many male attackers that I… I didn’t want to see Tenko as one of those women. Later on, she told me how she feels about girls, and I accept every part of her. But I was worried.”  


“I’m growing out of the mindset by being here,” Tenko said, “I’m making friends with male classmates for the first time, and maybe soon I’ll trust them the same way I trust the girls.”  


Angie wrapped her arms around the girl’s middle, trapping her arms with a giggle.  


“Oh my God this is so sickly sweet,” Kokichi gagged, “I’m going to raid the fridge in the cafeteria. Come get me when something juicy breaks out, like Kaede’s pregnant with Gonta’s child or Kiibo grows a dick.”  


After he left, Ryuuji turned to his student, “That was the little soda-chugging devilspawn you told me about, right?”  


“Yeah.”  


“I am not fond of his presence.”  


“I know.”  


Kaede laughed nervously and clapped for everyone’s attention, “Okay, guys. It’s almost time for dinner! Mr. Ryuuji, will you be joining us?”  


“Oh, no, I was planning to lea-”  


“Nyeh, but that would be weird if Tenko drops off her teacher to eat with us while she goes off with her girlfriend,” Himiko rubbed her eyes.  


Tenko’s shoulders tensed, a blush spreading from her chest to the tips of her ears. That’s right, Himiko must have overheard Mikan propose another date last night, when she caught the two of them in the nurse’s office. From her peripheral, she could spot Rantaro and Tsumugi open their mouths in shock. Angie loosened her grip on the girl’s body, but didn’t back off. Maybe if she stood completely still, and held her breath, this whole thing would pass over.  


“Tenko. Chabashira.” Shoot. Her full name.  


“My precious child, my beloved student, my vibrant little flower,” Tenko cringed at the embarrassing nickname, “has a GIRLFRIEND… without telling ME?!”  


Himiko picked her ear, “Who’s that guy?”  


Ryuuji whipped his attention to Himiko, “Who am I? Who is she?! Who is this… this woman that has stolen my student away from me? Is it one of you?”  


Miu snorted, “Why does donkey lips even know? Are you two mega-virgins finally scissoring or what?”  


Tenko pulled her arms up to wipe her face, breaking Angie’s hug in the process, “Ugh, first of all, Himiko does not have donkey lips so stop bullying her! And second, she isn’t my… she’s not my girlfriend, it was one date!”  


“But will you be attending a second with her tonight?” Kirumi asked.  


“... Okay after tonight it will have been just two dates,” she thrusts two fingers out, “two! So no way are we girlfriends and that means I didn’t hide anything from anyone.”  


Ryuuji crossed his arms, “But who is she? If she is a teacher, Tenko, I swear-”  


“No! She’s just from another class, oh my God!”  


“Atua.”  


“Sure!”  


The man narrowed his eyes, “Alright. Just know that if she turns out to be abusive and you need help-”  


“Master, I know-”  


He interrupted with a shake of his finger, “Hupupupup! If she turns out to be abusive and you need help, call someone. It doesn’t have to be me, just someone you trust that can get you away from her.”  


Tenko felt taken aback. Her master always advised her to specifically call him and he will help no questions asked. He’s really taken this revelation to heart. She just nodded. The two hugged one last time.  


“It was a wonderful time meeting all of you. I hope you all stay healthy, safe, and on the path of success!” Ryuuji pumped his fist in the air with gusto before walking out the door.  


Tenko turned back to her classmates, pushing her fingertips together.  


Miu shouted, “So who’s the bitch you’re eating out?!”  


“Don’t you mean ‘eating with’?” Kiibo corrected.  


“That, too.”


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's another TW for verbal abuse, like the name "wh*re".

“Is it Akane?”  


“Straight.”  


“Is it Sayaka?”  


“Taken.”  


“Is it Sonia?”  


“Straight AND taken.”  


“Is it-”  


“Kokichi, I’m not telling you,” Himiko sipped her glass of water.  


After Ryuuji left, Tenko evaded their questions the most sensible way she would--jumping out the window. Granted, their classroom was only two stories high and she landed onto a rather soft bush, but once the girl untangled herself of its vines, she sprinted down the field. Now, the class was eating dinner with a single empty chair. Several of the students counted the heads of their upperclassmen, finding nearly everyone present.  


“Alright, so the people missing are Fuyuhiko, Chiaki, Mikan, Nagito, Byakuya, Junko, and Celestia,” Kaito wrote in his notebook, “We can already cross off all the guys as the culprit since, you know.”  


Maki pinched the bridge of her nose beside him, “I can’t believe you’re taking notes on this.”  


“And what do you mean, ‘culprit’?” Kaede smiled awkwardly, “She’s just going on a couple dates with Tenko. It’s not like she's a criminal. Besides, I think we should leave this alone, Kaito. If Tenko wanted us to know, she would have told us.”  


Angie stroked the palm of her hand with a soft paintbrush, “Yes, yes, right, right. Why do you think Angie hasn’t told you already?”  


“What?!” Kaito smacked his pen against the table, shaking nearby cups, “You know who it is?!”  


“Atua saw the love in Tenko’s eyes as she waved to her guardian angel~”  


Miu slurped spaghetti noodles into her mouth, shouting a muffled “Bullshit!” while Kiibo quietly placed a napkin beside her plate. As usual, the girl ignored it and wiped away the leftover tomato sauce with her sleeve.  


“No fucking way could you tell who that dumbass likes, she nearly cums just by looking at any of us!”  


Kaede stood from her seat, “Miu! That’s an awful thing to say about someone who isn’t even here to defend herself! One more comment like that and you’re in big trouble!”  


Her classmate shrieked and trembled in her seat, Kiibo apologizing for his girlfriend’s remarks.  


“So, Chiaki, Mikan, Junko or Celestia… I think Chiaki’s straight… Junko and Mikan dated last year, so they’re definitely not… Do any of you know Celestia is straight?!”  


“Ooh, what kind of trouble, Mommy?”  


“Miu, I’m eating! And Kiibo is literally right there!”  


“What about Chihiro?”  


“Chihiro’s a boy, and not interested in dating.”  


“Oh, yeah. Akane?”  


“You already asked about her!”  


“Wait a sec, what if Tenko’s not really a lesbian?!”  


“Kaito… Do you wanna die?”  


Shuichi bolted from his chair, “I got it! It’s Mi-”  


“MIKAAAN!” Everyone froze at the sound of a high-pitched scream, coming from the hallway. Ryoma and Gonta, sitting closest to the doors, ran to investigate. Kaede, Kiyotaka, and Makoto followed suit.  


When the double doors opened, yelling could be heard more clearly, specifically the words, “-SLUT, YOU SLEEP AROUND JUST MONTHS AFTER-” until they shut again.  


But in the few seconds of listening, the students left behind knew it was Junko. Mukuro slid out of her chair to reach her sister, and Kaito decided to involve himself further. He enlisted Maki and Shuichi to hold the double doors open while he charged headfirst into the conflict. Because of this, he ended up crashing into Makoto full-force. From his position on the wooden floor, Kaito could see Tenko huddled over Mikan, the other girl rocking on the balls of her feet, in the midst of a panic attack. The glare in Tenko’s eyes was stronger than Kaito had ever seen from her, and it was being directed at a girl!  


“Oh yeah, fool around with your little baby bodyguard like the WHORE you are! That brat couldn’t hold a candle-no, a GLOW STICK to MY beauty!” Junko snarled at the pair, straining against the hold Gonta had on her upper arms.  


“I-I’m-I-I’m-” Mikan stuttered pitifully behind her date, “I’m s-s-s-”  


Kiyotaka stepped toward them, “Are you girls alri-” He flinched when Tenko’s gaze flickered over to him, her teeth clenched.  


The girl blinked away her rageful look when she heard Mikan whimper her name. She tenderly rubbed her back with her right hand, her left holding one of Mikan’s. Her face softer, she let her eyes wander back to two matching boxed lunches Junko had smacked onto the floor and stomped on before screaming in their faces. Mikan had actually accepted her compliment of cooking when she met her at her dorm room. So much happiness, shattered in five seconds.  


“Oh, what’s this? Is the wittle baby gonna cry like her big boobied girlfwiend?”  


“Junko, stop antagonizing them,” Kyoko shifted her weight onto her other foot, arms crossed, brow creased, “I will not hesitate to bring you to the Headmaster if you continue.”  


Junko's face twisted into a very serious pout, “But upon reviewing my statistics, harassment amongst peers has persisted in both the Main and Reserve courses since before your father was ever given the title of Headmaster. And if we were also to include your strained relationship with him, he will hardly give you higher authority over any other student. That’s why you weren’t even elected as class representative, correct? Thus, I can conclude that nothing will happen and it would only be a waste of time to bring me there.”  


Her pout stretched into a sinister grin, “Aww, but I bet the wittle baby can’t understand what I’m saying, can she?”  


Kaede stepped in front of her, “I’m Tenko’s class representative.”  


“Good for you, wanna fucking medal or something?”  


“I won’t let you get away with terrorizing my classmate and her girlfriend. I don’t care if the Headmaster does nothing when you go to his office, because you’ll at least be away from them. Gonta, can you bring her to Headmaster Kirigiri for us?”  


The boy tilted his head, “Where is that?”  


“Oh, don’t worry, I’ll lead you to-”  


Ryoma cut Junko off, “I’ll join them. I know where it is.”  


“Thank you, Ryoma,” he responded with a thumbs-up.  


Mikan whispered, “I want-I want to go home, I want to g-go home.”  


“I’ll take you to your room, okay?” Tenko spoke softly, “We have to stand up, though… There we go. No one’s going to hurt you, I promise.”  


Mikan clung to the girl for dear life, and Mukuro bowed to them, “I am so sorry for my sister’s words.”  


“I don’t blame you, I just… don’t want her near Mikan ever again,” Tenko turned her attention to Kaede, “Can we please pretend this never happened?”  


“We won’t say a word.”


	19. Second Date, take two

“I-I’m really-I’m really sorry.”  


“There’s nothing to apologize for, it wasn’t your fault.”  


“But… but she called you ter-terrible names, because you were-because you were with me.”  


“And she needs to get over it, because I won’t stop being with you just to please other people,” Tenko stared down at her hands resting on her lap, as she sat next to Mikan on the bed. They hadn’t stopped shaking since Junko screamed at them. And now both of their classes--plus Class 78-B--knew they were going on a second date. But it was such a failure, it probably didn’t even count tonight.  


“U-Um,” Tenko looked up at Mikan, waiting patiently for the girl to speak her mind, “Will you-Will you have to go s-soon?”  


“No, I didn’t train very much today, but I can catch up tomorrow morning. Why?”  


“If… If you want, we can-we can stay here, and…” she trailed off, the end of her proposition ending in an unintelligible whisper.  


“What was that last part?”  


Mikan squeaked, “We can… c-cuddle? But-But only if you want! Please don’t be mad!”  


Tenko kicked off her shoes and scooted back further onto the mattress, “Can we be under the covers?”  


“Eh? Y-Yeah,” Mikan carefully pulled her own shoes off and placed them by her bed, joining her date under the fluffy white duvet. She felt Tenko reach her arm out, which she accepted into a hug.  


“I guess… I guess I should tell-should tell you what happened between me a-and Junko.”  


Tenko closed her eyes and mumbled, “You don’t have to tell me anything if you don’t want to. I’m okay without knowing.”  


“Are you sure?”  


“...Would you feel better if you told me?”  


Mikan squeezed her arm, “I-I don’t know, I’m sorry.”  


“It’s okay, feelings can be really confusing sometimes. It happens to all of us. Like Kokichi, for example. Whenever I flip him, I get a reading that he’s… remorseful, and anxious. But it’s so weird, like he’s never acted that way, like Shuichi and Maki and Ryoma do. He doesn’t seem guilty of anything he says or does. And yet, I’ve never been wrong about my readings.”  


“I think Kokichi just wants you all to-to like him,” Mikan turned her head to hide her face in Tenko’s shoulder. Tenko tucked a strand of purple locks behind Mikan’s ear, the girl shivering under her touch.  


“Maybe,” she glanced at a large clock hanging above the door. Dinner must have ended by now, so they could still eat alone in the cafeteria if they waited a few more minutes.  


She hummed, “I know we didn’t get to eat yet, so if you’re hungry we can get a quick bite and come back here. What do you say?”  


Her date tensed, “Mikan? What’s wrong?”  


“What if-What if-What if everyone is there, and they-and they side with Junko, and hate us, and-and-”  


“Hey, hey, hey, hey. That won’t happen. Kaede and the others were really mad at her, they wouldn’t support her like that. And you know what?”  


“W-What?”  


“Even if it’s the whole world against us, we’d still have each other, right? I won’t leave you. And I absolutely won’t yell at you like Junko did. She’s awful.”  


Mikan sighed, “But… but she’s right about-about what she said.”  


Tenko sat up, “What?! No, she’s not! You’re nothing like… those names she called you! And no girl should ever be shamed for her dating history, anyways. It’s her body, and it’s her business!”  


“Ahh! Ple-Please forgive me!”  


“I will always forgive you no matter what!” Tenko grabbed Mikan’s hands and, in the heat of the moment, pulled them to her lips. The two froze and stared at each other, a pair of blushes decorating their faces.  


“Uh, let’s… go get food. Food in mouth, wanting, I do,” the girl dropped her date’s hands and somersaulted awkwardly out from under the covers. She stiffly shuffled to the door, leaving her shoes behind. Mikan, also in shock, climbed out of bed more naturally, but hid her face with her hair. Fortunately, she remembered a pair of slippers by her desk, and slid them on her feet. She met Tenko out in the hall, the girl staring at the floor with her hand outstretched for Mikan to take. Once more, she accepted it.  


After a peaceful dinner of leftover spaghetti and grilled chicken, the couple returned to Mikan’s room.  


“I don’t-I don’t want to bother you, but… would you, maybe, um, want-want to sleep with me tonight?”  


Tenko’s eyes widened and her jaw went slack. Mikan Tsumiki, the pretty nurse two years her senior, wanted her to stay the whole night? Was this normal for a second date? Then again, second dates aren’t usually crashed by an abusive ex in front of the student body. That’s probably more of a fifth date situation.  


“You-You can say no, I’m sorry.”  


“Huh?” Tenko snapped out of her thoughts, realizing she hadn’t answered Mikan and was standing there with a blank look on her face like a dope, “Oh! Yeah. Yeah, I would, um, I would like that.”  


Mikan wore a wobbly smile, “Thank you, I-I just feel very upset right now, and-and don’t want to be alone.”  


“That’s okay, it actually makes me happy to know you trust me.”  


Mikan nodded and turned to unlock her door, stepping inside. Tenko was about to follow her, when she heard a muffled cough from down the hall. The girl looked in the direction of the noise, and blushed furiously when she saw Sakura, Akane, Aoi, Angie, and Himiko peeking around the corner. The group locked eyes, Angie offering a friendly wave while Aoi gave an embarrassed smile and Akane a thumbs up. Sakura herself appeared ashamed to be caught spying on her subordinate--she was probably talked into it by Aoi--and Himiko kept a hand over her mouth as she coughed again.  


“Tenko? Are you coming inside?”  


She whipped her attention back to her date, “Y-Yeah, be right there. I just thought I heard something,” she glanced back at her friends, taking a deep breath and giving them a small smile before walking into the room.


	20. Chapter 20

“Hey, there’s the lucky bitch who scored last night! How’s she taste?!”  


Tenko cringed as she walked to her desk, “Miu, please. Nothing like that happened, we just talked and fell asleep.”  


Kaede turned over in her seat, “Well, I’m really happy to hear that you both have found each other.”  


“Yeah,” Kokichi leaned back, “I was worried that nurse would grow into a crazy cat lady down the street someday.”  


“Do NOT talk like that about Mikan!”  


The boy held up his hands, “Hey, I said I was worried she would, not hoping she would!”  


Tenko crossed her arms, “And I don’t care, no one is allowed to pick on Mikan ever again, or I’ll hit them.”  


“Aww,” Tsumugi squealed, “that’s so sweet!”  


“She’s not even here, idiot! What’s the big deal-” Miu stopped as she felt the girl’s glare. Cowering behind Kiibo, she sniffled pathetically. Her boyfriend sighed and patted her back.  


Rantaro quirked an eyebrow, “Sounds like this relationship is getting serious pretty fast. It’s only been two dates and you’re practically threatening the school for her protection.”  


Maki jumped in, “But this is Tenko we’re talking about, too. She flipped Kaito last month because he sneezed too close to me.”  


“He-He was endangering your health!”  


Kaede giggled, “And a while before that, I asked Shuichi to bring a few records to my research lab while I was going over ‘Tchaikovsky’s Four Seasons’, and he got busted.”  


“I thought he was trying to ambush you inside.”  


“Oh, oh! Angie remembers when Korekiyo was-”  


Tenko waved her arms frantically, “Okay, I get it! I flip guys a lot!”  


Kirumi added, “This may not be my business, but I am compelled to ask how Mikan is feeling this morning. The two of you skipped breakfast and yesterday’s incident surely must have shaken her.”  


“She’s okay- Er, not OKAY okay, but better. And I know this looks like it’s going really fast, but maybe that’s the kind of relationship some people like. Early intimacy, in a way.”  


“I know I do~”  


“Not that kind of intimacy, Angie!”  


Suddenly, Miu slammed her hands on her desk, “Alright, everyone shut up! If you didn’t get down and dirty last night, I don’t give a shit about your relationship status! I got something badass to show you all!”  


Kaede snapped her fingers, “Ah, that’s right. It’s show and tell today.”  


“Yeah, and I call dibs on first turn. Kiibo, let’s do it!”  


The robot stood, smiling in anticipation to show the class whatever surprise his girlfriend had planned. She lifted a bowl from between their seats onto his desk, and Tenko could see it was full of granola. Kiibo’s eyes lit up and he started bouncing in his chair like a child. A few students realized what was going on and gasped in surprise as he shoveled a handful of granola into his mouth. Instead of movements to signal chewing, a whirring sound reminiscent of a blender came from his head. Above the noise, Tenko could hear Kokichi snicker. Then, a flushing sound indicated he swallowed, causing Kokichi to smack a hand over his mouth to muffle his laughter, tears in his eyes. Kiibo opened his mouth to show everyone that it was empty. Miu did it. She actually gave a robot the ability to eat.  


“I know, I know, but would anyone expect any less of this golden brain?” she put her hands on her hips as the class applauded.  


Just then, Kokichi fell out of his chair, rolling on the floor in uncontrollable laughter, “You-You made him FLUSH food from his HEAD?! AHAHAHAH! Ah, someone help me-someone help me up, AHAHAHA! I-I can’t stop-HAHAHA-”  


“Why you little-” Miu was about to stomp over to him when Kiibo stopped her.  


“It’s okay, Miu. I’m just so happy to be able to consume food that I don’t care what Kokichi says. I’m proud of you, and I love all that you do for me. That has to count for something, right?” the girl blinked at him, blushing from his praise as she switched to a completely different persona.  


“Y-Yeah, it… it counts for a lot. I guess I can accept this as a win,” she squeaked when he pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek, and the two sat down.  


“That was amazing, Miu. So, who’s willing to go next?” Kaede’s gaze swept over her peers, “Gonta, are you ready to share with us?”  


The boy beamed, “Yes!” he quickly stood, his large build obstructing his movement, and making his desk lift up from his hips. Embarrassed, Gonta shimmied out of the furniture, and strode up to the front of the class with his bug box in his hands.  


“Yesterday, Mr. Great Gozu found Eastern Tiger Swallowtail caterpillar, and gave to Gonta. Tsumugi says it is, uh, what did Tsumugi say?”  


Tsumugi joined her hands together, “It’s the inspiration of the first generation Pokemon, code number ten, Caterpie!”  


“Nyeh, really? Can I see?” Himiko pulled up her magician’s hat to better look at the box.  


Kokichi looked impressed, “I can’t believe Gozu captured a Pokemon like Caterpie. I really thought of him as more of a Hariyama kind of guy.”  


Kaito waved it off, “It makes sense that he gave it away, then.”  


Tenko had absolutely no clue what a “Pokemon” was, or why Great Gozu supposedly resonated with this “Hariyama” thing Kokichi mentioned, but she didn’t want to interrupt Gonta’s turn to show and tell. She’d just ask Himiko about it later. Gonta allowed everyone to pass his bug box around to see the caterpillar, a little red antennae on its head resembling a dowsing rod, not very cute but the class appeared amazed nonetheless. “Pokemon” must be more popular than Tenko had originally thought, even Kirumi seemed to recognize it. After it was returned to Gonta, the boy sat back down.  


Tsumugi went next and showed off her new range in sewing, called Georgette.  


“It’s a form of Crepe fabric that’s lighter, stronger, and has a dull finish! With this, I can copy my older works made of Rayon, and they’d last almost twice as long!”  


“Is it more difficult to wash or iron?” Kirumi inquired.  


“No, no, there’s really no difference in heat exposure to Crepe!”  


Korekiyo, Tenko noticed, jotted down a few notes, “Fascinating.”  


Tsumugi returned to her desk, and allowed Kirumi to feel the texture of her fabric piece. Ryoma stayed in his seat, probably out of convenience, and held up an old, beaten tennis racket he explained he used in tournaments.  


Kaito sweated a bit, “Is… Is that the same one you-”  


“No, it was scrapped after my sentencing. Was exhibit A during trial.”  


Rantaro joined in, “Hey, maybe you guys can play a game later today. I’d watch.”  


“Me too!”  


“Me three!”  


Ryoma closed his eyes in thought, “We’ll see. Who’s after me?”  


“Ooh! Me! Me! Me!” Kokichi jumped onto his desk, a scroll of blueprints in his fist, “These are the plans of D.I.C.E.’s next target this upcoming Friday! Obviously, I can’t give away TOO much, just know that the lunch rush at Burger City will be a BLAST!”  


The class sighed and groaned at his evil laugh. Kirumi appeared to have written down a note about Kokichi’s scheme, along with Shuichi. Tenko thought it was odd, as Kokichi’s antics outside of school should never be her mess to clean up, right? Shuichi was job shadowing his uncle, so it was more likely his business, but Kirumi shouldn’t feel compelled to involve herself when her plate is already full at Hope’s Peak. She ought to just let public officials care about the little menace, the girl deserved a break from being their maid.


	21. Chapter 21

After Kokichi was Maki, who let Kaede see a few pictures of children she took care of at her part-time job. Korekiyo was next, who had discovered a book in his research lab about some strange ritual that allows people to speak to the dead. Tenko couldn’t quite understand what the boy was talking about, but he sounded very passionate, and happy to have found it. Himiko performed the same trick she’s used every show and tell, this time pulling a single pink rose out of her hat. Last time was one of her doves that ended up flying out an open window and never coming back; this time was much calmer, at least. Kirumi stood to talk about her newest client.  


“He is an older gentleman, and very polite. Before any of you inquire, no, he has not made any advances to me, and neither have any of his other cleaning staff,” Kirumi also provided a photo, one that she allowed to be passed around.  


He was smiling in a chair with an elderly woman sitting beside him, an orange tabby cat in her lap. Her tight red dress matched the striped tie of his dark suit, and their hair was graying but the woman retained a few areas of light brown while his receded. The two looked happy together, a seemingly well-ended marriage. When Maki received the photograph, however, the room became colder.  


Her eyes bulged, “I have-I have to go,” leaving her bag, the girl rushed out of the classroom holding her mouth as if ready to vomit. She dropped the picture on the ground in her hurry.  


“I’ll go check on her,” Kaito ran after her, no one able to stop him.  


Kaede’s brows furrowed, “She might get overwhelmed if more of us go after them. Maybe we should move on now.”  


“I feel compelled to apologize. Maki was clearly triggered by my client’s appearance, I should have possessed the foresight to prevent this distress.”  


Angie poked her fingertip with a mechanical pencil, “Kirumi did not know, so Kirumi did not mean it. An accident is an accident~”  


“Angie,” Shuichi pulled his cap down, “sometimes it’s polite to apologize even for an accident. It lets the person know you didn’t hurt them deliberately.”  


The girl hummed thoughtfully, “That is a weird idea, but makes sense, too!”  


Kirumi retrieved her photograph and sat back down, “I shall simply wait for the end of the activity to approach her. Please continue, everyone.”  


“Ooh!” Angie flailed her arm, “Can Angie go now? Please~”  


Kaede smiled brightly, “Sure, Angie. I’m excited to see what you brought!”  


With Gonta’s help, the girl set up a familiar scene of a white tarp hanging over a large frame that sat atop one of her easels.  


Tenko sweated, “Um, Angie, that’s not the-”  


“Tada!” sure enough, Angie revealed her portrait of Tenko. The class applauded in awe of the masterwork, but all Tenko could do was hide her red face in mortification. She could feel everyone’s eyes digging into her skin, like untrimmed fingernails.  


“Hey, Tenko. It looks great, doesn’t it?” she nodded at Kaede’s soothing words, but refused to remove her hands.  


“Oh my God-”  


“Atua-”  


“-this is fucking HILARIOUS! AHAHAHA!” Miu shrieked with hysterical laughter, “What kind of crazy sexual tension is between you two?!”  


Angie cocked her head, “Sexual tension? Tenko is only my friend, and I admire her strength and passion to protect girls. What do you think Angie means, silly!”  


The girl gaped, “But you just-I mean-like-look at it! The abs, the sexy smoldering eyes, her clothes are hanging off her body!”  


“Sexy eyes?” Angie squinted at her painting, “Those are just Tenko’s eyes.”  


At the reply, Miu froze and stared at her lap in utter perplexity. Although Tenko was relieved to hear the teasing cease, she still felt overwhelmed by the embarrassment.  


“Angie, why?” she whined.  


“Hm? Because it is a good painting. Angie made it all by herself.”  


Tenko peeked out from between her fingers, “Yeah, but it’s embarrassing!”  


“I think it’s cool,” Rantaro smiled, lacking a modicum of malice in his face.  


Tsumugi nodded, “Yeah, you look like a superhero!”  


“Real-really?” Suspicious, Tenko scanned her classmates’ faces. Minus Miu and Kokichi, they all wore supportive smiles. Kokichi himself crossed his arms with a pout.  


Kaede narrowed her eyes, “Something you wanted to share, Kokichi?”  


The boy sniffled, “I wanna look like a supervillain!”  


“...What?” Himiko scratched her head.  


“Tenko gets to look like a superhero, I want to look like a supervillian with a giant mecha in a cape and mask!”  


Angie gasped, squishing her cheeks, “Ahh! Angie can do everyone as a series!”  


After the class settled down, Shuichi shared--very briefly--a missing person’s case that he was currently working on with his uncle. Rantaro then passed around a recently obtained snowglobe from a trip to America. Tenko was next, and demonstrated with Kiibo a new technique of rolling an opponent’s arm backward until it popped out of its socket, used only in times of urgency.  


Kaede clapped, “Great job, everyone on this month’s show and tell! I guess it’s time to play my newest piece for you all, ahaha!”  


She led the class to her research lab down the hallway, meeting Kaito and Maki on the way. She tried to ask if everything was alright, but the other girl deflected the question back to the music piece Kaede was going to share.  


“Let’s just go already, I want to take my mind off of… that, okay?”  


Kaede hesitated, but after seeing Kaito’s expression, relented. The group finally arrived to her lab, a grand piano perched in the center of the room. Just as she had done a hundred times before, Kaede ran her fingers along the rim and gracefully seated herself onto the velvet-cushioned bench. The girl closed her eyes, slowly maneuvered her hands over a few keys, and began to play.  


Tenko didn’t know which notes were which, but it started very low. It sounded too sad and melancholy for something to be composed by Kaede, and as Tenko looked around to gauge the others’ reactions, they clearly thought the same thing. Tsumugi and Gonta were already on the verge of tears with her, Kaede’s music emitting an emotional energy too strong for her to handle. Hot tears streaming shamelessly down her face, she could barely see Himiko scoot onto her lap as the girl rested her head on Tenko’s shoulder. She was probably just really tired by Kaede’s slow pace, so she let her friend put more weight on her as she relaxed. In a desperate moment of seeking emotional comfort, Tenko flung her arms around Himiko, squeezing her small frame tightly as she quietly bawled. Kaito clung to Maki in a similar fashion, much to the girl’s chagrin. Beside them, Shuichi rubbed at his face with his sleeve, while Rantaro let his own tears flow untouched. Although Miu had pulled her goggles over her eyes to obscure them, her lip still quivered. Kiibo reached a hand over her shoulders in an effort to comfort her.  


When Kaede had finished her piece, she opened her eyes and turned to her classmates with a smile--that morphed into an expression of shock when she saw how many of them were crying.  


“Eh? Are you guys okay?!”


	22. A Very Serious Conversation...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ...About Pokemon.

At lunch, the classes intermingled more than usual. Makoto, Chiaki, and Kaede huddled in a meeting as class representatives. Sayaka joined Mahiru, Hiyoko, Ibuki, and Tsumugi in a discussion about unrealistic depictions of idol groups in anime shows. A group of students were playing a game of cards, including Celestia and Kokichi. Mondo and Kiyotaka were actively away from anyone else, seeking privacy to flirt as they ate. Sonia and Gundham were flirting as well, albeit more openly and oblivious to the heartache of Kazuichi, who tried to distract himself by investing his attention into Kiibo’s new upgrade. Akane was cheering on Nekomaru in his--clearly losing--arm wrestling match against Sakura, with Aoi as her own cheerleader.  


“And then Himiko told him about… us,” Tenko gestured from Mikan to herself, “But he doesn’t know it’s you. He just knows it’s a girl in third year.”  


The girl wrung her hands, “Oh no, oh no, oh no. What if he-what if he doesn’t like me, and make-makes you stay away from me?”  


“He’s not like that. And even if he were, I already told you,” she placed a hand over Mikan’s, “I won’t stop being with you because other people don’t like it. The only opinions that matter are yours and mine. And if you want to leave, that’s okay.”  


“...Can we slow down?”  


“Yeah! We can go at whatever pace you want,” Tenko reeled her hand back and started eating.  


Mikan remained fidgety for a few moments before taking a bite out of her bread roll. They went back to talking, this time about each other’s special interests. Tenko raved over her favorite idol singers, including Sayaka’s pop group, and Mikan expressed a fondness for knitting.  


“I’m sorry if it-if it sounds boring,” she looked at her food solemnly.  


Tenko swallowed another bite, “It doesn’t have to be exciting to be interesting. It’s, like, meditative, isn’t it?”  


“Well, yes.”  


“And you make something at the same time! That’s pretty cool!”  


“Ah,” Mikan couldn’t stop herself from grinning, “thank you. But I’m not-I’m not very good at it.”  


“That’s okay. As long as it’s fun!”  


“Why you little-!” behind Mikan, Kaito hoisted Kokichi off the ground by his shirt collar.  


The group that was playing cards seemed to be fighting over the recent results of their game, as no one really stopped Kaito. Ryoma simply shuffled the deck of cards for a new game, Celestia sipped her royal milk tea that Kirumi prepared for her, Maki declined Yasuhiro’s offer of some strange substance, and Fuyuhiko vented his outrage to Peko beside him. Himiko, who was merely spectating the game, walked over to the couple with a huff.  


“Kokichi cheated again,” she sighed, “Now it’s too noisy over there. What a pain.”  


“It’s alright, Himiko. You can hang out with us, right Mikan?”  


The other girl stammered out a reply of approval, and went back to eating.  


“Oh, yeah!” Tenko hit her hand with a fist, “I totally forgot. Himiko, what’s a Pokemon?”  


At her question, Kaito dropped Kokichi, his mouth gaping open. Kokichi himself stared at her in shock, but it was unclear whether he was feigning surprise for drama.  


“Oh. My. God,” he shouted.  


“Atua.”  


Kokichi spun his head around, “Angie, this is serious! Tenko doesn’t know about Pokemon!”  


“Oh, like ‘Caterpie’, yes?”  


“Gonta, you don’t know them either?” Kaito stood on a chair, “Alright, who here doesn’t know about Pokemon?!”  
Along with Tenko and Gonta, Sonia, Kiyotaka, and Hiyoko raised their hands. Sonia appeared excited to learn, as did Kiyotaka, but Hiyoko looked embarrassed. Mahiru rubbed her back comfortingly.  


“Everyone who doesn’t know Pokemon, get over here!” Kokichi yelled with a rasp.  


“Oh, I love Scorpion!” Sonia clapped in delight.  


Fuyuhiko spluttered, “Wh-What the-you know Mortal Kombat but you don’t know Pokemon?”  


The group of girls decided to join them at the table, as did Mondo and Gundham. The couples sat together and the girls scattered to encompass Mikan and Tenko. Kaito and Kokichi looked at one another in silent understanding, shaking hands to form a truce.  


Kaito sat beside Gonta, “So, Pokemon stands for ‘pocket monsters’, and you build a team of creatures to battle gym leaders and other trainers so you can get all the badges of your region and become a Pokemon Champion.”  


“And you get a rival that you can name anything you want!” Kokichi’s eyes lit up.  


“Are they really gross-looking? I’m not a fan of scary things.”  


“Um, actually, Tenko, there are some that-some that are r-really cute,” Mikan fidgeted.  


“Oh yeah, Mikan,” Mahiru pointed, “Your scrubs resemble Nurse Joy’s outfit a bit. You both wear pink!”  


Sonia furrowed her brow, “Nurse Joy? But I thought this is a game from Japan.”  


“It is, but some of the names are more Western. And the Pokemons’ English names are more widely popular, too.”  


Gonta grinned, “Like Caterpie!”  


“So,” Tenko looked up at the ceiling, “do you get to control them like a fighting game?”  


“And because there’s a nurse character, I assume these creatures are harmed?” Kiyotaka turned to Mondo.  


“It’s alright,” he said, “they don’t die. And it’s more about strategy, so you only get four moves with a limited number of uses. In battle, you and your opponent take turns. When your Pokemon runs out of health, it faints. You take it to a Pokemon Center, and it’s all better. Rinse and repeat.”  


“How come they don’t die? That’s the best part of video games!” Hiyoko pouted.  


“It’s for kids.”  


She turned to Kaito, “So?”  


Himiko yawned, “Most kids feel bad when they let a pet die.”  


“I’m sure most kids would feel bad if their cat got poisoned or paralyzed, though,” Tsumugi interjected.  


“Paralyzed?!” Gonta gawked.  


Kokichi admired his nails, “And now that you can make them have sex with each other, you might as well give them the ability to die in battle. Like a mercy killing.”  


“Hmph, the strategy of breeding Pokemon is highly inaccurate as well.”  


“Wait, you’re able to breed Pokemon now?” Sayaka gasped.  


Tenko pointed to Kaito, “You said this was for kids!”


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please see my explanation for Kokichi's reaction at the end. Thank you!

“So, everyone, I spoke with Chiaki and Makoto, and we decided to hold another session of group therapy. But, this one will be optional. It’ll start tomorrow after breakfast and, depending on how many people come--Miu, don’t make this gross--we can continue tomorrow,” Kaede smiled.  


“Can people show up to support others?” Kiibo raised his hand.  


The girl clapped, “Yes, absolutely! Anyone who joins doesn’t have to share their problems. This is just another opportunity to feel better and get anything of your chest! But right now, I need to know how many plan to be there.”  


Tenko looked at her hands. She struggled talking about her experiences several times already, but if she can be there for others without having to share those uncomfortable stories of being… bad-touched… then she’d happily go.  


Kaito’s hand shot up, “I’ll go!”  


“Me too!”  


“As will I,” Shuichi nodded.  


Rantaro held a thumbs up, “You can expect me there.”  


“Yes, yes, same, same!” Angie tilted her head side to side.  


“I am afraid there are more pressing matters for me to attend to, and if no one requests that I join them, I must decline the offer, Kaede,” Kirumi bowed her head.  


Miu scoffed, “Geez, just say you’re fucking busy, granny panties! I’m working in my lab tomorrow, so don’t try to convince me!”  


“Oh wow, the filthy sperm whale thinks we want her around us!”  


“Kokichi,” Kiibo stood out of his seat, “I won’t stay quiet about you bullying my girlfriend! Back off!”  


Kokichi’s grin faltered, before softening into a playful smirk that didn’t reach his eyes, “So now we know that you at least have balls, huh?”  


“Kokichi, that is ungentlemanly.”  


He looked over at Gonta, “If you haven’t realized by now, Jumbo, I’m never gentle.”  


Maki crossed her arms, “Everyone just ignore him, he’ll get bored and leave.”  


“Nishishi, just like you left during show-” the boy was cut off by a hand around his throat. Maki’s eyes bore into his, their red hue simmering with rage.  


“Do. Not. Bring that up. Again,” with a drag of her fingernails across his neck, she released her grasp.  


Kokichi stared straight ahead as she returned to her seat. A part of Tenko wanted to convince herself that he deserved it, until she caught a whiff of something flagrant. Kokichi was scared enough to have…  


He remained stone-faced, but shifted his body to look ahead. Everyone else was silent for a few agonizing seconds, before Kaede clapped for everyone’s attention.  


“Okay, guys, I spoke with Chiaki and Makoto, and we thought it would be a great idea to have another group therapy session tomorrow! It’s optional this time, so if anyone is busy in their lab, or have prior commitments, you don’t have to miss them.”  


Rantaro played along, “What if we want to support others but don’t want to share?”  


“You can still join us even without something to get off your chest. I assume you’ll be coming, Rantaro?”  


Miu snickered, “That’s what she said.”  


“Damn it, Miu!” Kaede sighed, “Anyways, who else will be there?”  


Shuichi raised his hand, “I will.”  


“Yeah, I’m going!” Kaito pumped his fist.  


Tenko decided to follow, “Me too!”  


“How exciting!” Angie clapped happily.  


“Apologies, I will be busy.”  


“That’s okay, Kirumi. I know you would be there if your other tasks weren’t important,” Kaede’s gaze swept over the room, “Well, we might as well get out of class early. I’ll see some of you tomorrow!”  


Tenko walked out of class quickly, hoping to give Kokichi solitude to leave on his own. She was never exactly fond of him, but today he seemed very out of character. As if Kiibo’s outburst made Kokichi feel defensive, or insecure. Everything happened so quickly, she was still processing it when she arrived at the dojo.  


“-ko. Tenko!”  


“Ahh!” she panicked at the voice beside her and launched a palm strike. The voice countered with a wrist hold.  


“Oh,” Tenko sighed in relief, “It’s just you, Maki. When did you…?”  


“We practically walked here together.”  


The girl furrowed her brows, “We did? Sorry, I must have spaced out.”  


“If this is about Kokichi, I already plan on apologizing later. I didn’t expect to scare him into soiling himself.”  


Tenko nodded, and looked ahead, “Do you think he’ll be at the session tomorrow?”  


Maki pushed the door open, “I somewhat hope so, it seems like he has a lot of issues to work through.”  


“Yeah, you’re-huh? What the-!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think Kokichi reacted calmly to Maki threatening him because of the game. It was a killing game, and she skipped two opportunities to try and escape by murdering someone. If she killed him, she'd be punished with her life, and if she severely harmed him, the group wouldn't trust her.  
But here, they're in school, and I've already made an earlier scenario in which a bully wouldn't be severely punished (through Junko) and he just antagonized the class, so who would really defend him?


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to be safe, another trigger warning. Nothing direct or graphic, or some form of abuse is implied.

“Water! We need water!”  


“I know, wait here,” Maki rushed to the showers, leaving Tenko paralyzed in front of the flames. It wasn’t very big, but wouldn’t a fire of any size be alarming in a dojo? Soon, Maki shuffled back with two buckets of water, handing one to Tenko and splashing the mat with her own. Steam immediately fizzled into their faces, the fire already diminished by half. Tenko carried her bucket to the other side, where the remaining flames were at their strongest, and poured the water over. Her eyes stung as steam blew into her face again, but after taking a step back, she could see the cause of the fire.  


“Is-Is that a picture of me?”  


Maki crouched in front of the blackened training dummy that laid limp in the center of the mat, and peeled off a sheet of laminated paper. She flipped it over, showing Tenko her own photo from orientation. It was in black and white, and her face appeared to be crossed out with a red marker.  


“It had to be Junko,” Maki stood.  


Tenko laughed nervously, “But we don’t-we don’t KNOW that. It could just be Kokichi or, um, Hiyoko! They like fire, right?”  


“You said you were going to the session tomorrow.”  


The girl nodded, and began picking up the wet pieces of burnt wood from the mat.  


“Good. Whatever you do, don’t end up alone with her. And better yet, don’t leave Mikan alone, either. This is likely another one of her mind games.”  


“Yeah. Yeah, that’s right,” she swallowed, “I just… what if someone gets hurt?”  


Maki joined her in cleaning up, “Then maybe we can finally get her out of here. And no, it wouldn’t be your fault.”  


“I know, but I’d still feel bad. Like, she’s doing all of this because I’m with Mikan.”  


“And you’re going to let an abusive ex dictate your relationship?”  


She walked over to a trash can in silence, throwing out the pieces of wood. Maki followed her to dump the scraps she carried on the photograph. Junko was scary; she was older, prettier, smarter, and had way more money than Tenko. But she was malicious to anyone around her, if she was bored. Not even her own sister was safe from the cruelty. Just thinking about what Mikan could have been subjected to pushed Tenko to thoughts of murder.  


“I’d do anything for her, Maki. It feels like everything is moving at lightning speed, but I really do love her,” her shoulders shook, “What-What am I supposed to d-do?”  


Maki turned her head away in embarrassment, “Tenko, stop crying. You know I can’t comfort people.”  


“I can’t stop!” she wailed.  


“Hey, girls! What’s-” a voice halted behind them. They looked over to see Akane and Peko, standing by the doorway. Tenko realized the scene they had just walked into: a sparring mat covered in black char and splinters, the wooden floor drenched beneath it, and a crying underclassman whose picture was threateningly crossed out in her classmate’s hands.  


Peko quickly grabbed ahold of Akane’s arms just as the girl began to charge.  


“What happened here?! You did something to her, didn’t you?!”  


“Akane, we don’t know the full story. This appears too complicated of a scene to simply be Maki’s doing. Why don’t we listen first?” she spoke calmly in contrast to her classmate’s aggression.  


Tenko sniffled and ran to the older girls, shoving her face into Akane’s bust as she wrapped her arms around her middle. Peko relinquished her hold so Akane could return the hug, and walked over to Maki.  


“Would you mind explaining what happened?”  


Maki handed over the photograph, “There was a practice dummy on fire when we came in. This was on the face. Do you think Junko could have done it?”  


“It is probable. Mikan appeared especially anxious after a trip to the bathroom. She could have seen something like this as well.”  


“What?!” Tenko yelled from the front of the dojo, and tried to run out the door, “I have to go find her. I have-”  


“Woah, woah, woah,” Akane held her back, “Let’s calm down, here. How ‘bout we all clean up and then go with you, alright?”  


The girl broke from her grasp, sprinted to the custodial closet, and snatched a mop. She frantically dragged the mop across the wet floor, running from wall to wall until the water was spread out evenly, no puddles left untouched.  


Tenko swung the mop over her shoulder, the cloth tendrils soaking her back, and stampeded back to the door.  


“I did my part, join me after you’re done!”  


“Tenko! That wasn’t what I meant!”  


Maki sighed, “Just let her go alone for now, we’ll meet her at the nurse’s room soon. That’s where Mikan would be right now, isn’t it?”  


As Tenko ran back to the school building, a figure slowly approached her.  


“Sakura! Sakura, please help me!” she tugged the girl’s hand, “I need to get to Mikan!”  


“Okay,” the two reentered the school and ran down the hall. Around the corner, they could see Mukuro standing in front of Mikan’s research lab, her back to the door. Tenko skidded to a stop and whipped her mop at her, inches from the girl’s face.  


“Let me in,” she huffed.  


Mukuro sighed sadly and, in a flash, twisted the mop handle out of Tenko’s grasp. She ended up behind her and held the handle against Tenko’s throat, the girl’s hands flying up to ease it off of her windpipe. Tenko let out a strangled cough.  


“I’m very sorry, but Junko wants a moment alone with her.”  


Sakura stepped forward, “Let her go right now, before I make you.”  


Mukuro took a step back, pulling her hostage back with her, “Please don’t come near us, I am under strict orders.”  


“What is happening inside? What does Junko want?”  


“I don’t know myself, she only told me to keep anyone from going inside until she’s finished.”  


Tenko struggled, “Wh… Whe…”  


“Junko went inside just after class ended.”  


“I-I…” Her knees nearly buckled. This wasn’t supposed to happen. She was supposed to get to Mikan and protect her from Junko, not be taken captive by a former soldier in front of her upperclassman and role model.  


Suddenly, the door opened, and Junko sauntered out, “Oh, so that’s why it was so noisy out here.”  


With one last apology, Mukuro released her hold on the mop handle. Tenko dropped to her knees, gasping for air. The mop clattered in front of her. Junko smirked and crouched down to her level on the floor.  


She gripped Tenko’s chin, “Have fun with my sloppy seconds, wittle baby~”  


The sisters walked off around the corner, their menacing footsteps a reminder of Mikan’s distress, and Tenko’s helplessness to stop it. Sakura helped the girl to her feet, and cautiously entered the room. Curled into a ball beside her desk, Mikan pleaded for forgiveness.


	25. Subpar Rescue

“Mi-” Tenko coughed.  


“I didn’t-I didn’t-I didn’t mean to!” Mikan cried.  


Sakura looked to Tenko, “It may be for the best that I leave. This seems too personal for me to be here. But don’t forget to treat that mark.”  


Tenko nodded, gingerly rubbing her neck. With that, Sakura departed, and the couple was left alone. Hesitantly, Tenko walked over and silently sat next to Mikan. Would touching her be okay? Would she even be able to ask for permission in the state her voice was in? To be safe, the girl kept her hands resting firmly on her knees.  


“Please, please forgive-forgive me! I promise I didn’t want it!” Mikan fell in a heap against her.  


Tenko coughed again, “What… do you…”  


At the raspy sound, Mikan looked up, and gasped.  


“Your neck is injured! Oh, I had no idea. I-I’m so sorry!” she scrambled to her feet and rushed to a cabinet, pulling out a small tube of ointment and a roll of bandages. Did her neck really look that bad?  


Kneeling in front of Tenko, Mikan squeezed a glob of cream onto her thumb and, with a feather-light touch, spread it over the bright red mark Mukuro had left. She then unraveled a foot of gauze and wrapped it around her neck, careful to move it under Tenko’s hair. She directed Tenko’s finger to hold it in place while she cut the gauze and a thin strip of medical tape to keep the bandage from unfurling.  


“What happened to you?”  


Tenko looked away, embarrassed. After a moment of thinking she opted to hold out her arms in an offer of a hug. One that Mikan immediately accepted. Although Tenko was two years younger, the two stood at identical heights. Mikan let out another sob, and she rubbed her back. The pair broke apart, Mikan pressing their foreheads together.  


“I… I did something horrible, with Junko.”  


“Wh… Wha… t?”  


New tears flowed down her cheeks, “She kissed me, and I-and I couldn’t stop her. I couldn’t-couldn’t push her away.”  


“Did… you wa… nt to?”  


Mikan silently nodded.  


“I… am mad…” Tenko rasped, “at her… you… are hurt.”  
“But I feel like I betrayed you!” She shut her eyes, as if anticipating a punishment.  


“I don’t.”  


Mikan looked back at her in surprise, “You-You’re not upset with me?”  


“No… never.”  


“You can’t say that! What if I do something-What if I do something horrible to you in the future? What if I break your heart, or-or make you waste your life with me?!”  


The girl furrowed her brow, “I… trust you… and I… want you.”  


“What?”  


“I want…” Tenko winced at the strain of her throat, “to stay… with you.”  


“Even after Junko’s hurt you because of-because of me?”  


“That’s her fault.”  


“I-I’m sorry. I promise I didn’t invite her here,” Mikan whimpered, her body curling in on itself. Tenko took her hand and pulled it up to her own lips, kissing the soft, pale knuckles. The sudden act of intimacy made Mikan yelp, but she didn’t try to pull away from the loose grip. When Tenko lifted her head, she could see the girl biting her lip and looking away.  


“Is some-,” she cleared her throat, “something… wrong?”  


Mikan glanced back at her, and continued to stare at the floor, “If you have-If you have to go back, to exercise, may I-may I come with you?”  


With a small smile, she nodded graciously. The girls didn’t often get asked to be watched while they train, and maybe Tenko can teach her a few basic self-defense techniques. As they left Mikan’s research lab, the couple heard several pairs of footsteps, growing louder and quicker.  


“Kid!” Akane scooped Tenko off her feet and twirled around, “There you are! Wait. Wait. What’s this from? Did that crazy Junko chick hit you or somethin’?”  


Peko approached Mikan, “How are you feeling?”  


“I’m okay now. She-She came by and… some things happened… b-but Tenko forgave me.”  


Maki and Sakura stood from the sidelines. It seemed like Maki was already informed of the incident with Mukuro, as she wasn’t fazed in the slightest to see her bandages.  


“Mukuro used the mop on her, remember?”  


“What? I didn’t hear a thing about that.”  


Sakura sighed, “That’s because you were yelling about her taking off without you the whole way here.”  


Tenko stared at the floor, remembering that she initially chose to go alone. And it went as humiliatingly as she could imagine. Well, that isn’t true--she at least had clothes on, so it could have been more embarrassing. She immediately tried to push the thought out of her head, a dark blush creeping over her face. Her gaze swept over to Mikan’s hand, and still in Akane’s clutches, she weakly reached for it. Quickly catching Tenko’s actions, the girl closed the distance to hold her hand.  


“Um, we planned-we planned to go back to… the dojo,” Mikan squeaked, “If none of you want me there, I can-I can just stay, or-or go to Mahiru…”  


Sakura smiled, “I welcome your visit. We don’t see many classmates come by to watch us train. And if Tenko has formally invited you, then I can’t override her wishes.”  


Mikan offered a shaky smile and bowed, “Oh, thank you so much! I will stay out of-out of everyone’s way, I promise!”  


Tenko bounced on her heels and hugged her by the arm, letting out whispers of cheers.  


“Ah, so that’s why it was unusually quiet when we got here,” Maki blinked.  


The girl pouted at her before turning her attention back to her…  


“Hey,” she mumbled, “what exactly… are we?”  


“Eh? What do-What you mean?”  


“I know that… you wanted to go slow… so you probably… don’t want me to… call you my girlfriend.”  


A look of worry flashed over Mikan’s features, “I’m sorry, it just-it feels too soon.”  


“I know. It’s okay. Can I… call you my date?”  


“Is this a date right now?! Oh my gosh, please forgive-please forgive me, I need to tidy myself up!”  


Tenko put her head on the girl’s shoulder, “Mm it’s not… but calling us friends… who go on dates… and cuddle is a long name. You… can say no… if you aren’t comfortable.”  


They walked in a few seconds of tense, awkward silence. Just as Tenko was about to take back her suggestion, Mikan placed her hand over the girl’s arms and pushed them down to free herself. Her other hand reached for one of Tenko’s, and they squeezed each other’s palms.  


“Hey Tenko!”  


The pair looked behind them, seeing the group’s reactions. Sakura coolly offered a nod of approval, Maki tried--and failed--to hide her blush behind her long dark hair, and Peko’s glasses had fogged. Akane, who had caught their attention, was holding her cell phone. A loud click and bright flash made the two flinch, and Tenko leaped at her. Akane dodged a few attempts to tackle her, but resorted to holding her phone as high as she could, her subordinate trying to scale her body to reach it. Akane tossed her phone to Peko once Tenko successfully climbed onto her back. Without missing a beat, Peko sent the image to Chiaki’s phone number.  


With a strained voice, Tenko shrieked, “You guys are so mean!”


	26. Chapter 26

After washing up from a rigorous training session, the girls made their way to the cafeteria. Hand-in-hand, Mikan and Tenko walked toward the table of Class 79-B with Maki. Angie looked very pleased to see them together, and Korekiyo acknowledged them with a curt nod. Most of the class seemed absorbed in their own conversations, but no one had reacted negatively so far. Nor did they bat an eye over her bandages, given how frequently she’s pushed her limits during training in the past. That was really how Mikan became her friend. The pair sat in between Kaede and Himiko respectively, where bowls of soup and sandwiches laid.  


“Um, are you sure-are you sure I can have this seat?”  


Kaede smiled, “Mhm, Kokichi told me he won’t be coming for dinner tonight.”  


“Ah, I will deliver his meal to his room, then,” Kirumi stirred and poured a serving of tomato soup into a bowl, balanced a plate of grilled cheese sandwich, and swiftly left the cafeteria.  


Kaito turned to Maki, “Hey, I know Kokichi can be a real pain in the ass, but maybe you should apologize.”  


She sighed, “I should’ve expected him not to show up. But I thought he had a really thick skin.”  


“In his defense,” Rantaro spoke from across the table, “you can be very intimidating.”  


Maki furrowed her brow, and fidgeted with one of her twintails, embarrassed.  


Miu slurped a spoonful of soup, “I think she’s hot when she’s angry.”  


“Miu!” Kaede leaned forward, “Stop sexually harassing our classmates! Think about Kiibo, too!”  


“What? It’s not like it bothers him, right Kiibo?”  


He stayed quiet, staring at his plate of bread. No melted cheese or liquid soup, most likely so his gears wouldn’t get easily stuck with food particles. But it looked like he hadn’t even touched the slices of bread.  


Miu struggled to meet his eye, “Kiibo? I can-I can stop, if you want.”  


“No, it’s okay. I just… nevermind.”  


Tenko studied the sad look on his face. Kiibo had always been emotionally expressive, a stark contrast to what she’d expected from a robot. But as she spent more time with him--or rather, in his general vicinity--Tenko’s learned that he can be very sensitive about his differences to his human classmates. Coupled with the timing, she assumed he was feeling insecure about his relationship with Miu.  


“Kiibo,” Kirumi stood by him, having just come back from Kokichi’s room, “Would you prefer other food tonight? It will not cause me any trouble to retrieve it.”  


“Oh, no, I’m okay, Kirumi. I still don’t feel hunger or possess the ability to taste yet, I was just thinking. Thank you, though.”  


Kirumi nodded and returned to her seat, beginning to finally eat her own meal. Tenko stirred her sandwich in the bowl, the greasy crust growing red and soggy. Her throat was feeling much better, and she could almost speak well again, but it hurt to swallow. Drawing it to her mouth, a drop of soup fell onto her clean shirt.  


“Aw man,” she rubbed the stain with her thumb, “American food is so messy.”  


“You’re just really clumsy,” Himiko mumbled, her mouth full.  


Mikan quickly pulled out a wet wipe and dabbed at Tenko’s shirt. The girl froze, watching her date clean up the mess she’d made on herself. The stain had fallen right over her chest, which Mikan… kept… touching. Tenko’s eyes flitted over to Kaede, who was ignoring Miu and Kiibo’s conversation to stare at Mikan’s movements. She looked sort of sad, an odd reaction to such a compromising situation in front of her. When Mikan finished, she looked up at Tenko, and pulled away. She pulled back too fast, however, and fell into Kaede’s arms.  


“Are you okay?” she asked.  


Mikan spluttered, moving away from Kaede’s hold, “Yes, thank-thank you. Um, I’m s-sorry.”  


She tensed, slowly meeting Tenko’s gaze, “Please for-forgive me.”  


“What do you mean? It was an accident. And it’s not like you did something bad,” the girl took a large bite of her food, hovering over her bowl of soup to catch the leak.  


Kaede sighed, “Though it would have been romantic if you were single. It seems like everyone around me is getting together while I stay alone.”  


Beside her, Shuichi coughed, “Ah, is there, maybe, someone in particular… that you like? Not-not that it’s any of business or anything, um-”  


“No one comes to mind, but you know,” she reeled in his full attention, “I tend to focus on personality rather than looks. Boys and girls each have qualities to them that I find attractive, like guys with long eyelashes or girls with wide hips. But if we aren’t compatible, I don’t think we’d ever make it.”  


Tenko swallowed with a wince, “What kind of personality are you looking for?”  


“Hmm, someone who… someone who won’t tell me what to do… or be too clingy. But I would also want them to rely on me somewhat. Like, asking for my opinions on things and needing my help around the house. Oh, and no offense, Tenko, but I think having a very energetic partner would be a little too much for me to handle.”  


The girl nodded silently, chewing another bite. She had already learned that people can get easily overwhelmed by a hyperactive personality. Many of the other students could be around her and Ibuki for only a few hours, before retreating to their rooms for solace. Was Mikan one of those people? She was the one to suggest a second date, so probably not; unless it was less about Tenko’s boundless energy, and more about Tenko as a whole. The memory of their kiss flared up in the form of a blush, before Kaede’s voice drew her back to reality.  


“No, I don’t mind who’s taller or smarter or stronger. We would have to like each other beyond a platonic friendship, though.”  


Shuichi pulled a brim of his cap down, “I see.”  


After dinner, Tenko led Mikan to her dorm room, “Do you… do you still want to stay over?”  


Mikan squeezed her hand, “Yes, I sort of don’t-sort of don’t want you left alone in this state.”  


“Then let’s go!” She suffered a coughing fit, having yelled too loudly for her sore throat. Mikan looked at her, concern etched on her features.  


“I’m-I’m okay,” her voice trembled, “I wanna… show you something… in my room.”  


As they entered, Mikan immediately took note of how clean her room was.  


“Oh, I’m sorry if I-if I sounded rude. It’s not that you are dirty, it’s just-”  


Tenko giggled, “It’s okay, everyone reacts that way when they see it. A part of my discipline is to maintain a clean environment, so I can never leave things on the floor.”  


“I see. Um, can I ask what you wanted to-to show me?”  


“Yeah, I wanted to show you some toys we could play with.”  


“Toys? But-But isn’t this too fast? I mean, I know I-I know I went fast with Junko, but...”  


“Come on, it’ll be fun. I play with them all the time, especially when I’m bored or stressed out. I want to share them with you,” She walked over to her desk, and opened the middle drawer. Mikan peeked inside, finding a pile of… toys.  


“Eh?”  


Tenko fished out a yoyo, and tugged the small noose around her middle finger. She let the plastic toy fall from her hand, then jerked her arm up to draw the yoyo back toward her.  


“Miu and I have traded a few of these, since she likes to tweak them. Then I get the ones she wasn’t able to make a new invention out of,” she turned back to the drawer and grabbed a small box.  


“Do you like jigsaw puzzles?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I absolutely love that Kaede is canonically LGBT, and flirts with almost everyone. When she was the protagonist, she didn't just get flirted at, like Makoto or Shuichi, she was the one to initiate.


	27. Another Session (part 1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you think of the story so far. I encourage constructive criticism, too!

The newest session of group therapy appeared to be a success; almost half of each class was present. A similitude to last week, the class representatives arranged a mass of chairs into a circle in the school’s garden. Tenko was surprised to see Miu, though, after how she boasted about her plans to lock herself in her lab all day. Kiibo looked happier than yesterday, at least. Another shock was seeing Maki sitting between Kaito and Kaede, her arms crossed and shoulders hunched. Scanning the circle for two empty seats, she led Mikan to sit beside Mahiru while Tenko herself sat next to Ibuki.  


The girl wrapped her arms around Tenko’s shoulders and pulled her close, “Hey, lil’ sister!”  


“Hi Ibuki, good morning!”  


Mikan smiled, “You do look and act like siblings, huh?”  


“Well, we both have naturally black hair-”  


“-and that thing Mahiru told me about-”  


Mahiru sighed, “ADHD.”  


“Oh, yeah! I forgot about that! Ooh, alright, Tenko. Favorite color on three. One, two, three!”  


“Green!”  


“Purple! Oh,” Ibuki pondered for a moment, “Green is a really nice color.”  


Tenko held a similar expression, “So is purple.”  


Hiyoko pinched the bridge of her nose, “Oh, God, they really ARE sisters.”  


“Okay everyone,” Makoto stood in the middle of the circle, “We’re ready to start the session. The people who plan on sharing, please raise your hand.”  


Tenko saw Kiibo and Miu raise their hands. Was this because of last night? She looked around and noticed Mahiru, Teruteru, Chihiro, and Mukuro doing the same. Mukuro was here. She was here, near Tenko, near Mikan, in front of everyone. But Junko wasn’t. Without orders from her sister, Mukuro was unlikely to cause a scene. Unless that was the reason for Junko’s absence, and they plan on killing everyone in here!  


“Mukuro, you can go first if you’d like.”  


“Thank you, Makoto. I suppose I should start this off by apologizing to Mikan, for the incident yesterday. I… Junko didn’t tell me what happened, but I understand it was wrong and because I assisted her, I am very sorry,” she stood from her seat and bowed deeply.  


“Oh, um, I-I forgive you. I deserved it, anyway-”  


Tenko flung her arms around Mikan and whispered, “No, you didn’t. You deserve kindness and respect and happiness no matter what. You did nothing wrong to make Junko’s actions okay.”  


With flushed red cheeks, Mikan nodded, “Thank you, Tenko.”  


Mukuro watched the couple with a hint of sadness, “Everyday, I wonder if anything Junko tells me to do is okay. I love her, I would do anything to make her happy, but I doubt even she knows what will make her happy. I don’t… I don’t like… when she tells me to hurt people. I never did. But now, I’m starting to have my own feelings about what I do. Junko won’t change, she’s just… unable to. I know that. But she’s my sister. How do I… do the right thing?”  


The next few seconds were deathly silent as she sat back down.  


“Uh, that’s, um, a little advanced for my expertise,” Makoto scratches the back of his head.  


Mukuro gazed at the ground, “I see.”  


After another pause, Kyoko spoke up, “Family is often complicated. Sometimes you don’t know if they really care about you as a person, or just want to continue passing on their DNA. You can still love them, and still want them to be happy, but you shouldn’t feel compelled to keep them close when they mistreat you.”  


“That’s right,” Sayaka nodded, “even if they’re family, you don’t deserve to be hurt by them. And if they really did love you, they would stop, or let you go. It’s like that saying, ‘If you love something, set it free.’”  


Rantaro leaned back in his chair, “If it comes back, then it’s yours. If it doesn’t, maybe it was never yours to begin with.”  


Mukuro looked from her classmates to Rantaro, and closed her eyes, “I understand. Thank you for allowing me to share.”  


“Of course! Now, how about we move on to Teruteru?”  


The boy took a deep breath, “I know I may act a little… intense towards you all. And I probably make some of you uncomfortable.”  


Tenko and Mahiru wanted to interrupt about the word “probably”, but neither spoke.  


“I think about my family business a lot, about my mom and how she’s always working herself to the bone even being ill. I think about my little siblings’ jobs as, ugh, escorts. And I think about how we’ve been stacked for money as long as I can remember. I guess, what all of this has led me to, is thinking about my dad,” Teruteru’s sad expression morphed into anger, “He left us with nothing, no visits or calls, no child support. It was after mama found out about his girlfriends. Like she wasn’t enough for him or something?! If I had a family, I’d never leave. I’d never stop loving them.”  


Nagito hummed, “I see now. You look for someone to help prove that you’re better than him, right?”  


“I mean I also just really like sex,” he grinned.  


“There it is,” Mahiru sighed, “But I do think I understand where you’re coming from. Being a better husband and father than the one who abandoned your family. You don’t want to be like him.”  


Teruteru’s smile softened, “Yeah. I just-I just wanted to let it out, here, so…”  


“That’s okay!” Kaede raised her hands in front of her, “We’re here so people can talk, and share, and support one another. You don’t need to require advice.”  


“Thank you. I’m finished now, so someone else can go.”  


Chiaki looked around the group, “Maybe Kiibo?”  


“Um, well, Miu and I are here for the same issue.”  


Miu herself almost looked ashamed, in a way she’s never been seen before by her classmates. Her arms were crossed over her chest, and she chewed her bottom lip while her eyes roamed over everyone’s heads.  


Kiibo fidgeted with his hands, “Sometimes I don’t feel like I’m enough for Miu, because I’m not a human. I just, don’t feel any desire for sex, and even though I’m not uncomfortable when she talks to me in that way, it makes me upset when she talks like that to other people.”  


“No desire for sex?” Chihiro perked up, “Does that mean you’re asexual, too?”  


“‘Too’? I thought this was because I’m a robot.”  


The boy laughed, “That may be, but it doesn’t distinguish you from humans. Asexuality is completely normal. It just means that you don’t experience sexual attraction to bodies or body parts. Er, sometimes you can, rarely, and we can still want a relationship with people. Not me, though.”  


Mondo rubbed his chin, “Oh yeah, you’ve got both ends of the straw, huh?”  


“Mhm! So, Kiibo, this part of you isn’t bad at all. You still have feelings, you love Miu, and you love your friends and family, right?”  


Kiibo nodded, “Uh, yeah. Right.”  


Chiaki yawned, a frequent action for her that’s lost its offense a long time ago, “As for Miu, she doesn’t want to make you feel this way, I think.”  


“Of course not! But I can’t… I can’t fucking stop. Shit! My head just pushes words out of my mouth and Kiibo gets sad,” Miu lurched forward and began rocking back and forth, “And then everyone gets mad at me, they don’t like me, they want me out of fucking school and out of their lives and Kiibo’s going to hate me and I’ll die in a du-”  


“Woah woah woah woah! Hey, Miu. Hey. That’s not going to happen. I know you can’t help it, with your condition. I was just feeling a little insecure because I know you have a bit of an affinity for... intimacy. And I can’t provide that for you. I’ve been worried myself that you would want someone who can.”  


“But I make people angry and uncomfortable so they don’t want me around,” she rushed.  


Kaede walked over and knelt in front of her, “Miu, we don’t want you to leave. There are things that you say and do that can make us upset, but we get over them. And I consider you my friend, because I love hearing you talk about your inventions, and your jokes are funny, and even though you struggle to understand us, you make a valiant effort. It’s admirable.”  


“Really?” she sniffled, “I’m… I’m your friend?”  


“Yeah! I’d miss you a lot if you left.”  


Miu wiped her nose with the back of her hand, “Thank you. I’m… I’m okay.”


	28. Another Session (part 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Miu uses "d*ke" as one of her... creative nicknames towards the end. Just a heads up to prepare anyone.
> 
> Who am I kidding? I make Miu say "d*ke", I have full control over what comes out of her filthy mouth.

“Chihiro, looks like you’re up,” Makoto smiled.  


The boy looked to Mondo, who gave a single nod. At the signal, Chihiro unbuttoned and removed his blazer, he rolled up one of his shirt sleeves and flexed hard. Tenko had to squint, but she could see a hint of muscle. His classmates and a few others clapped.  


“Ehehe, Mondo and Taka have been helping me in the gym since May. I’m able to bench press twenty pounds now!”  


“That’s amazing, Chihiro!” Aoi cheered.  


“Nice, man! We ought to bring our sidekicks together to train sometime!”  


“Kaito, I’ve told you already. I’m not your sidekick.”  


“Aw c’mon, Maki roll!”  


“Don’t call me that!”  


Chihiro giggled, “I usually think of myself as Mondo’s sidekick. You two are a lot alike, anyways.”  


Mondo and Kaito bore surprised expressions, and looked at each other. Tenko studied each of them: their unbuttoned blazers, gelled hair, and spread legs as they sat comfortably in their seats. Eventually, Kaito turned back to Chihiro.  


“Sorry, I don’t really see it.”  


Kiyotaka and Maki huffed in exasperation, as Chihiro and Shuichi let out airy laughs.  


Chiaki rubbed her eyes, “I guess Mahiru is the last to go today.”  


“Right. Sorry that I’ll bring down the nice atmosphere.”  


Hiyoko hugged her arm, her bright orange kimono shifting, “Don’t be sorry, big sis! If anyone complains, I’ll kick ‘em in their shins!”  


Mahiru gave her a small smile, “Thank you for the offer, but please, no kicking people today?”  


“Hmm, okay. Not today.”  


The girl paused, then said, “Most of you probably remember that last year, my friend died. It’s… still an open wound for me, even after learning what she did to Natsumi Kuzuryuu.”  


Mikan felt around for Tenko’s hand, and squeezed it tightly.  


“I’m figuring out my feelings for Satou, and… I think I loved her. As more than just my best friend.”  


At Mahiru’s declaration, Hiyoko’s supportive smile faded into a sad frown, and she stared at the grassy floor beneath her feet. Whether she was disappointed in Mahiru saying she loved Satou, or called the girl her best friend, it was unclear to those who saw her reaction.  


“Even though Fuyuhiko isn’t here, I want to say that I forgive him. We both lost someone we cared about, and I guess it sort of ended with an ‘eye for an eye’. But still,” her face scrunched up in heart ache, “I really miss her!”  


She covered her face with her hands while Hiyoko rubbed her back.  


“Your pain is just as real as anyone else’s,” Sakura crossed her arms, “Satou’s actions were morally questionable, but that doesn’t mean you are barred from missing her. She was an important person to you.”  


“Yeah, she really, really was,” Mahiru leaned into Hiyoko, who silently comforted her.  


Tenko heard Ibuki hum beside her, “Satou was always very nice to me.”  


“Mhm,” Mikan agreed. She squeezed Tenko’s hand again, their fingers interlaced.  


The group gave a moment of silence for the girls, a gust of wind blowing through their hair.  


“If I had-If I had noticed she was on edge, or talked to her more, I could have-I could have stopped her from-from-” Mahiru gasped out. She tightened her hold on the kimono sleeves. Her breathing slowed as Hiyoko’s voice murmured sweetly into her ear. It was the softest tone anyone had heard her take on. What was she even saying?  


“Mahiru,” Rantaro spoke up, “I can’t say I understand what you’re going through, but I want to say… it’s not your fault, for anything that happened.”  


The girl turned her head to look at him, her eyes red and puffy with shimmering tear streaks down her freckled face. Hiyoko gawked at her friend, before shooting a glare at Rantaro. Unfazed, he continued.  


“You can spend your whole life thinking about the ‘what-if’s that you end up disconnecting from the world in front of you, and mixing up dreams with reality. I’ll admit, I find myself doing this way too often, so I at least know that it’s difficult to quit. But I bet Satou would hate to see you blame yourself. I’ve never met her, though.”  


Tenko could see Hiyoko’s hands shake as she pulled Mahiru closer, “That’s right, you haven’t met her. You can’t know what you’re talking about, then.”  


“Hiyoko,” Mahiru whispered, “please, it’s okay. He’s just trying to help.”  


“...But I’m already doing that.”  


“And you always do wonderfully. Thank you for helping me again,” she pulled away to wipe at her cheeks.  


Hiyoko looked back at Rantaro, her jaw clenched as she fought to stay calm. Mikan wrapped Tenko’s arm into a clingy hug, scooting away from the pair beside her.  


Chiaki blinked, “Hiyoko, do you… want to share right now? We have time-”  


“I’m fine, geez! Why don’t you quit meddling in other people’s lives when you’ve got friends sharing right in front of you?! It’s not like I’m one of the screwy freaks like pig barf over here!” she jabbed a finger at Mikan, who crumbled under the sudden attention.  


Tenko stopped herself from leaping to her feet, “Hey, don’t call her names! Mikan is wonderful!”  


“Oh, right. I forgot our favorite little man-hater LOVES to eat barf! Makes sense with your dog face!” she snickered.  


Kiyotaka rose from his seat, “Perhaps it is best if we all calm down, and-”  


“Oh there’s no need, ‘cause I’m leaving now!”  


Mahiru lowered her head, “Goodbye, Hiyoko.”  


The girl flinched, before running into the building. Kiyotaka sighed and sat back down, Mondo patting him on the back. Tenko rested her chin on top of Mikan’s head as her date murmured an apology.  


“I’m really sorry about her, everyone,” Mahiru said, “She can be… complicated.”  


“We understand,” Sayaka looked over to Mikan, “Are you okay, dear?”  


“Um... yes, I’m o-I’m okay,” Mikan pulled away.  


Kaede and Chiaki exchanged glances, and the former smiled, “It seems like the two of you have been growing closer lately. Any issues with the romantic side of the relationship?”  


Miu smirked, “Yeah, I saw you leave Big Dyke’s room this morning. Must have been a lot of action to stay the whole night, Miss Nurse.”  


“Ooh, how scandalous to even imagine,” Teruteru growled, his eyebrows wiggling.  


Kiyotaka frantically waved his arms, “Do not imagine anything of the sort!”  


Tenko blushed, “Ehehe, nothing happened. We just fooled around and fell asleep, that’s all.”  


Aoi gasped, “Wait, you-”  


“PUZZLES! It was-It was puzzles, a-and yoyos and um…” Mikan shakily turned to see Tenko’s head enveloped in Ibuki’s arms, who appeared to be in tears.  


“You… tainted my baby sister…”  


“N-No, it’s all a big misunderstanding, I swear!”


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, sorry if I mess up a vibe by changing up the layout of all my chapters so late into the story. I just didn't like how they looked, and *finally* figured out how to put some space between paragraphs. I just favor this new format.

After an uneventful dinner, the girls of Class 79-B migrated to their dormitory’s common room. Tsumugi brought her cosplay makeup, and was showing Himiko how to hide the dark circles under her eyes for her performances. Kaede convinced Maki to let her braid her long brown locks, while Kirumi posed elegantly at Angie’s request. Tenko peered over the girl’s sketchbook, watching her pencil glide in short, smooth strokes across the paper. Kirumi remained perfectly still, her arms raised as she held platters of snacks at eye level.  


Angie beamed at her rough sketch, “Thank you, Kirumi~”  


“Of course, Angie. Please, do not hesitate to ask for anything else.”  


“Hey, do any of you know what was up with banana hair today?” Miu crossed her legs on the couch cushion, her upper body hanging off the seat and wavy blonde mop of hair sprawled over the carpet.  


Tsumugi furrowed her brow, “‘Banana hair’? Oh! Do you mean Hiyoko, because of her high ponytail?”  


“Did something happen at the group session thingy?” Himiko reached for a bowl of chips set on the coffee table.  


“Yeah, she went nuts just ‘cause people wanted to fuckin’ help her girlfriend.”  


“Hm? Hiyoko doesn’t have a girlfriend. Unless you mean Mahiru.”  


“Yeah, they’re just friends.”  


“She did seem defensive after Rantaro spoke up,” Maki placed a finger under her bottom lip, “I know she’s very close to Mahiru, but this is bordering on possessive.”  


“And she turned on others really quickly,” Kaede looked up from her work, “Tenko, what do you think?”  


The girl fiddled with her hands, “I know she has her own struggles, but my sympathy starts to run out when she bullies people.”  


“You mean Mikan, right?”  


“No. But, well, you all have to admit she gets targeted a lot more than anyone else!”  


Kirumi sat beside Miu, her back straight and skirt smoothed out, “I have noticed that you have been subjected to harassment lately, as well. It appears that mere association with Miss Tsumiki will bring unwanted attention.”  


“Hiyoko’s messed with me before, it’s not that big of a deal,” Tenko waved it off.  


“I may be overstepping, but I was referring to Miss Enoshima.”  


Miu groaned, “Oh God, that bitch! I swear her tits are plastic, there’s no way any can be that big AND perky!”  


“Um, that’s not the biggest issue you should have with her, Miu,” Kaede sighed, “But, Tenko, I’m kind of worried now. It’s great you two like each other so much, but if this relationship is putting your safety at risk, then…”  


She took a deep breath, “I… I don’t care.”  


“What?”  


“I don’t care if being with her is this difficult. Or dangerous. I’m not letting Junko get in our way of being happy.”  


Himiko scratched her nose, “Haven’t you guys been together, like, a few days?”  


“Okay, we’re not TOGETHER together, just going on some dates. Our next one is this Saturday, and we’ll actually be going off campus to an ice cream parlor,” Tenko stared off with a goofy smile, “She said she’d wear pink.”  


Kaede’s face softened, “So you really love her then, huh?”  
“Ah, well, we haven’t said that word to each other before. Is it too early? It feels too early. Mikan said she wanted to slow down, too, so we shouldn’t-”  


From behind her, Angie poked her cheek, “You didn’t say no, so you must mean yes~”  


Embarrassed, she turned to Miu, “But, uh, do you and Kiibo say you love each other?”  


The girl pulled herself upright, her face a deep red from the blood rush. Twisting her body around, Miu grabbed a brownie from one of Kirumi’s platters.  


“Eh, sometimes. He says it way more often than me. Don’t get me wrong, I do love him, it’s just… usually hard for my mouth to form the words. I express it in different ways, instead, like his upgrades,” she took a bite of the dessert, dark crumbs falling onto her shirt, over her chest.  


Kaede pointed, “Oh, you made a mess there.”  


“Yeah, and I bet you’d want to clean it up, Kae-daddy. No, wait! Argh, FUCKING,” Miu smacked herself in the head, “GOD DAMN IT!”  


“Hey, hey, hey, it’s okay. I forgive you. You just need to say sorry afterwards.”  


“Right, I’m-I’m sorry.”  


Angie clapped from her spot on the floor, “Hooray! Atua is so proud! Ooh, as would Kiibo~”  


Tsumugi crawled over to Tenko, “You know, I can lend you some of my makeup for your date, Saturday. Not foundation or concealer, of course, but I think you’d look super pretty with a cat-eye and some blush.”  


“Ah, do it, do it! Mikan will take you farther this way!”  


Tenko laughed, “No way! I’m just going to have fun with her! I don’t plan on going all the way so soon, Angie. A beautiful lady deserves patience.”  


“Don’t all girls deserve patience?”  


“All girls are beautiful ladies.”  


“Ugh, you’re such a fuckin’ softie,” Miu licked the chocolate stains off her fingers, “But I still can’t get past this. Didn’t banana hair look pissed when Mahiru said she loved that dead chick? Is she gay or what?”  


“Hiyoko’s the only other lesbian in the Main Course,” Tenko let Angie remove her hair ties to make a braid.  


“I didn’t know that. Done!” Kaede threw hands up. Maki ran her fingers down one of her new high braids, held up with her red scrunchies.  


“Do you like it?”  


“Yeah. Thank you, Kaede.”  


Tsumugi pointed, “Aha, you kind of look like Peko now!”  


“I… do?”  


“Oh yeah, you do,” Himiko said with her mouth full of chips, “You already had red eyes like her, too.”  


Maki turned away, but Tenko caught a glimpse of a small smile. Peko had been the upperclassman to reach out to Maki the most, it made sense that the girl would look up to her. She supposed they got along well because of a mutual understanding, with their similar upbringings. Both orphaned young, picked up by powerful groups of dangerous people, trained to kill, wait-  


“Hope’s Peak has a lot of orphans.”  


Kaede blinked, “Oh, you’re right. In our class alone, we have how many? Maki, Ryoma, I’d assume Kokichi…”  


“Of our class of sixteen, there are approximately six with deceased parents,” Kirumi stated.  


Everyone was quiet for a moment.  


“How the fuck do you know that?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi Dunie!


	30. Chapter 30

“Ow ow ow ow! I give up, I GIVE UP!” Tenko frantically smacked her hand against the sparring mat, Akane pressing her other arm in between her shoulder blades. The girl loomed over her helpless victim squirming under her weight.  


“Gotta say the magic word~”  


“Uncle! Uncle uncle uncle!” after the crushing pressure of Akane’s butt vanished, she let her head fall onto the smelly floor, “You’re so mean. Wasn’t even a real wrestling move.”  


Akane squatted down next to her, “Come on, you love me. Oh, speaking of love, hey Mikan!”  


Tenko gasped and scrambled to her knees, trying to fix her hair until she saw that no one but Sakura and Maki are in the room with them. Red-faced, she pushed Akane off-balance, her upperclassman choking with laughter.  


“Don’t do that! What if she actually does come by?”  


Maki rolled her shoulders from the bench, “That’s right. You two have another date today.”  


From her left, Sakura smiled, “Watching you fall hard for her like this makes me feel old.”  


“Eh? What makes you say that?”  


“I acted the same way with Kenshiro.”  


Maki’s eyebrows flew up in surprise, “You were this embarrassing?”  


“Hey!”  


“I liked him that much,” the girl sighed, “That makes it sound like I’ve gotten over him, even after his time had come. I don’t want to dampen the mood with this.”  


Tenko reached forward from her place on the mat, “Wait! I want to… know what he was like.”  


Sakura crossed her arms, “Kenshiro… was strong. The strongest human alive before me, but even stronger inside. He taught me how to care about someone beyond simple feelings of empathy. He taught me that life was far more worthwhile when someone was by your side. Someone who would cherish you, and you would cherish back. Of course, I felt similarly to my family, but Kenshiro created a new form of love inside my heart. And that’s why he will always have a place there.”  


Akane fell onto her back, “Shit, man. That was deep. I don’t think there’s anyone here that could do that to me.”  


“What about Nekomaru?”  


“The old man is just my manager. We’ve talked about it before, but until I get back out there after Hope’s Peak, and he’s not my coach, anymore, we’ll see. Just not the right time.”  


“I see,” Tenko peered at Maki, “And what about you and-”  


“Don’t. Say. His. Name.”  


The girl flinched, “Ah, right, too personal. Sorry, ehehe.”  


Maki looked away and played with her hair, “We’re… good. I guess it’s nice.”  


Suddenly, Akane leapt to her feet, “Alright, guess it’s time to head on out today. We slacked off enough here after training, can’t let our little Knight in Shining Armor keep her Princess waiting too long~”  


“Ow, stop pinching,” rubbing her sore cheek, Tenko followed them to the showers.  


“Hmm, I heard quite a commotion at your table last night. It seems Kokichi was feeling better.”  


“Yeah, I finally found him to apologize for something. I didn’t realize he would bounce back so easily, though,” Maki pulled her shower curtain for privacy to undress.  


Meanwhile Tenko stripped off her shirt and bra unabashedly, “Kokichi’s a wild card. I have no idea what he’s thinking most of the time. He probably got over it before you even talked to him.”  


“Yeah, what even happened to make him hide for two days?” Akane flung her shorts into the far corner before getting into a shower stall.  


“I’d… rather not say.”  


After a cold wash, Tenko pulls out her sports bag for the outfit she picked out. Mikan said she was going to wear pink, so Tenko chose the only article of pink clothing she owned--a simple polo shirt with a black placket and hem. She also packed two pairs of jeans.  


“Should I go with the black pants or blue?”  


Akane grabbed both pairs and held them up in front of her legs for comparison, “Hmm, I’m not a fashionable gal, but I do know that black goes well with everything.”  


“Thanks!”  


“Also,” she squinted at the girl’s undergarments, “I’ll say that I’m happy you didn’t go with something… bed-ready for today. Your master would be happy to hear that.”  


“Thanks for your advice on the pants, Akane,” Tenko droned. She folded the blue jeans and neatly placed them back in her bag. She could bring it back to her room tomorrow. On her way out, she spotted Maki braiding a lock of her hair before combing her fingers through it to destroy the creation.  


“Hey, Maki?” she offered a bright smile, “You look really nice in braids!”  


Her classmate stammered, “Uh, thanks. Good luck on-on your date.”  


“Thank you!” she bounded through the dojo, “Gotta date with a pretty nurse~ Gotta date with a pretty nurse~”  


Tenko swung open the front door, “Gotta date with-”  


“Tenko! You’re just in time!” Ryuuji waved from his spot on the building’s steps, “I was about to give your little friend here Mikkun since you said you missed him so much!”  


“Oh, Tenko, your master seems like-like a very nice man,” Mikan squeezed Tenko’s old stuffed dog on her lap. Mikkun, her best friend since her fifth birthday. Mikkun, whose green cloth has been replaced with flannel, blue, and white patches where he had been torn over many years of reckless love. Mikkun, who no one knew about in the entire school--was in her date’s arms.  


“Aha, Wait a second. MiKKUN, and MiKAN! Get it?” Ryuuji laughed.  


“Master, please. Why are you… You didn’t… How do I handle this situation?”  


“Oh, don’t be so dramatic,” he walked over to her and pulled her into a hug, “You sound like you don’t want me here!”  


“No no, it’s not that! I just… had plans today.”  


The man pulled away to beam at her, “I know! This is such a crazy coincidence! I come by to visit when I see a lovely young woman sitting outside the dojo all by herself waiting to have ice cream with my star pupil. I love ice cream! Come on, no time to lose, girls! Mikan, if you’ve never had green tea flavored, you simply MUST try it. I’m telling you, it changed my life!”  


Ryuuji looped his arms around each of the girls’ and led the way, blissfully unaware of his student’s mortified expression.


	31. Cut

Tenko trotted back to her bedroom in silence, hand in hand with Mikan as her date apologized profusely. Her shoulders shaking, she stood with her back to Mikan. Suddenly, she fell to her knees.  


“I’m so embarrassed!” she cried, “This was probably the worst date you’ve ever had, because of him!”  


Mikan hid her face behind the stuffed animal, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have-”  


“He might as well have brought baby pictures to show you. Crying over a sandwich on the first date, letting Junko hurt you on the second, being chaperoned by my master to get ice cream! Now I look like a total loser.”  


“What? No, of-of course not! You’re still very strong and cool to me!”  


Tenko turned her head to face her date, her face flushed and hot tears rolling down her cheeks. She sniffled pitifully on the ground.  


“Really?”  


“Tenko,” Mikan walked over and sat in front of her, handing Mikkun over, “you work so hard to protect the girls here, and you never-and you never feel embarrassed about showing your true feelings.”  


“My true feelings, huh?” stroking Mikkun’s fuzzy head, Tenko took a deep breath, “Do you… what to hear my true feelings?”  


“What do you-What-What do you mean?”  


“Well, I know you said you wanted to slow things down, and I’m okay with that. But… I can’t hold in how I’ve been feeling about you, lately. Mikan, I-”  


“I know she has her own struggles, but my sympathy starts to run out if being with her is this difficult,” a familiar voice boomed from the intercom overhead. Tenko was sure she was listening to herself. But she couldn’t remember ever saying something like that.  


“You mean Mikan, right?” and that was Kaede’s voice.  


“Oh God, that bitch!” Miu groaned through the speaker.  


Tenko stood up, “What is this? This wasn’t how our conversation went. Miu wasn’t-she wasn’t talking about you!”  


The intercom continued, “We’ll actually being going off-campus to an ice cream parlor.”  


“So you really love her then, huh?”  


“No way! I’m just going to have fun with her!”  


Himiko’s voice was barely heard, “Haven’t you guys been together, like, a few days?”  


“I don’t care.”  


“What?”  


“I plan on going all the way.”  


“Ah, do it, do it!” at those words, the intercom crackled, and shut off.  


“Mikan, I swear that wasn’t the real-”  


“I’m sorry, I-I have to go!” the girl rushed out of the room, her hands covering her mouth as though she were about to vomit. Tenko trailed after her, but stopped at the doorway. She watched Mikan stumble around the corner, likely retreating to her lab.  


“Uh.”  


She whirled around to see Himiko, Kaede, and Angie behind her. Kaede stepped forward to offer a hug, Angie following. Himiko didn’t look as concerned as her friends, but she made the effort with a gentle pat on the back. She was never one for comforting others, anyway.  


Tenko leaned against Kaede, wracked with sobs, “I was gonna say it to her, and then-and then someone put up a f-fake-”  


“Shh, it’s okay. Everything will be okay.”  


“N-No it won’t… it’s all ruined now! She thinks I only wanted to-wanted to do it with her.”  


Angie hummed, “She may just be confused! Mikan should know by now that you would never say those things, yes?”  


Kokichi and Rantaro walked into view from a nearby restroom, and spotted the group. Through her blurry vision, Tenko could see Kokichi’s smaller outline try to drag Rantaro’s silhouette in the other direction, but was ultimately overpowered and forced to tag along.  


“Hey girls,” Rantaro gave them a small smile, “Everything alright?”  


Himiko tilted her head, “You didn’t hear the conversation over the speaker? It was kinda loud.”  


“Well, I didn’t want to bring it up first, if it’s too private-”  


“After the little stunt she pulled last week, is anything Junko does private?”  


Kaede looked at Kokichi, confused, “What does Junko have to do with this?”  


The boy groaned, “Come on, Kaede, you’re supposed to be smart! Fine, I’ll spoon feed you all. So, apparently Junko and Mikan had a messy break-up last year, and Nagito says she’s been more injured lately ever since you two started going out. I guess it got pretty bad, considering Mikan stopped coming to the 78th Class’ room and dorms altogether.”  


“Stop it,” Tenko choked out, “I don’t… want to hear this right now.”  


She broke away from the embrace and walked back to her room. Her Master had already left, and it was Saturday, so she couldn’t call him. Crying under her blanket until dinner sounded the most appealing to her at that moment.  


“Aww, so you don’t want to know about the bathroom message?”  


Tenko froze. Bathroom message… bathroom message… back when her portrait was on fire? And then, in Mikan’s lab, with Junko… her throat…  


“Yoohoo~ Tenko~”  


She grabbed Kokichi by the collar, pulled him into her room and slammed the door behind her, locking it before the others could react. The boy flopped onto her bed and twisted his body to show his rear, a feigned look of shyness on his face.  


“Please, be gentle.”  


Tenko growled, “I’m not dealing with your jokes. Just tell me what was in the bathroom that day.”  


“Oh, that?” he sat up, “A little birdie told me there was a very tasteful picture of Mikan and Junko from back when they were dating, taped to one of the stall doors. For some reason, though, the edges were burned. That was the tasteful part.”  


“How do you even know this, though? I told you before, if you ever go in any of the girls’ bathrooms-”  


“Oh PLEASE, honey! What would I even get out of it? As for my sources, that’s highly confidential, and unless you plan on torturing my ass the way I like it, you’re stuck with what I just gave you.”  


He breezed past her, “I’ll let them know you want to be alone, though."  


A short time had passed since Kokichi led the others away from her dorm room. During her period of solitude, she cried, ripped the idol girl band posters off her walls, and slept on her floor. Her stuffed dog laid encumbered in her arms, under the nested blanket she had pulled onto herself. All that were visible were her bare feet and messy twintails.  


“Tenko?” someone knocked on her door, “It’s Kaede. Are you coming to dinner tonight?”  


A pause.  


“Please answer, Tenko. I know you’re hurting right now, and I want to make sure you’re okay. Tenko?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This isn't the end of the whole story, just the end of Part 1. I decided this was getting really long, so I want to break it up a little.


End file.
